Heaven Hill 11 Year Old 2009 Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey 61.6% 700ml

Heaven Hill 11 Years Old  -  2009 Vintage
Where Patience and Char Meet at the Crossroads

Distilled in 2009 and laid down in new, charred American oak - as is bourbon's law - this release carries with it the unmistakable signature of the rickhouse. Eleven years in Kentucky isn't just a birthday. It's a trial by heat. This whiskey has spent more than a decade in barrels breathing through extremes, extracting toffeeed richness, baking spice, and oak-driven resolve.

The nose is warm and nostalgic: dark brown sugar, vanilla bean, and charred cornbread with a side of maple syrup. Behind it lies a tangle of roasted pecans, leather armchair, and a faint hint of clove-studded orange. It smells like home - if your home is filled with well-worn oak, fresh pies, and southern sun.

On the palate, the structure is unmistakable. Full-bodied and rich, with a core of caramel fudge, rye spice, and toasted marshmallow. Mid-palate, there's a swell of cherry cola, black tea, and cracked cinnamon stick - followed by a grounding note of saddle leather and burnt oak stave. The proof (often around 50 - 60% for these kinds of picks) carries it all with warmth, not heat.

The finish is classic Kentucky: long, drying, and peppery, with echoes of charred sugar, barrel tannin, and just a touch of menthol or eucalyptus - that cooling, late-in-the-glass note that whispers of maturity.

A Bourbon of Balance and Backbone
What sets this 11-year-old expression apart is its restraint. It's not over-oaked or overly sweet. It walks the line between bourbon's natural richness and the refinement that time provides. There's depth here, but also clarity. You're never lost in syrup or spice - the structure holds, the grain still speaks, and the oak frames everything without bullying it.

For fans of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof or older Evan Williams single barrels, this will feel familiar - but more intimate, more focused.

Final Thought
Heaven Hill 11 Years Old 2009 is not a flash-in-the-pan release. It's the quiet, slow-burning confidence of traditional Kentucky bourbon at just the right age. It doesn't try to innovate. It doesn't need to. It's deeply satisfying, enduringly classic, and made the way bourbon ought to be.

It's not just another age-stated whiskey.
It's a slow, sweet Southern sermon in a glass.

Tasting Profile