William Heavenhill 16-Year-Old Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (6th Edition)
William Heavenhill 16-Year-Old Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (6th Edition)
William Heavenhill 16-Year-Old Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (6th Edition)
William Heavenhill 16-Year-Old Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (6th Edition)
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Regular price $949.95
Regular price Sale price $949.95
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Age: 19 Years | Region: Bardstown, Kentucky | Proof: 106.0
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William Heavenhill 6th Edition is a sixteen-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon from Heaven Hill's rare, Kentucky-only tribute series — a May 2018 small-batch release bottled at 106 proof and left non-chill filtered. It is the only 16-year the series has produced, built from fewer than sixty barrels dumped as separate small batches to preserve each warehouse's character.

The Elemental Distinction

  • A May 2018 release from William Heavenhill — the Kentucky-only series Heaven Hill has used since 2008 to bottle some of its rarest, most mature stocks — and the only 16-year the series has made.
  • Sixteen years old, bottled at 106 proof and non-chill filtered, so nothing was stripped between the barrel and the bottle beyond proofing down.
  • The signature move of this edition: rather than one large marrying, fewer than sixty barrels were dumped into separate small batches by warehouse floor, keeping each rickhouse's aging character intact.
  • Heaven Hill's standard bourbon recipe — 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley — so what carries it is age and selection, not an unusual grain bill. It is the same mash behind Elijah Craig and Evan Williams.
  • The 6th edition, sometimes called the "Black Label." The edition, age and proof on the label are what tell it apart from the series' other bottlings.

Sensory Profile

From attributed reviews, which agree more than most: a deep mahogany bourbon of dark chocolate-covered cherries, oiled leather and mahogany oak, with caramel, toasted vanilla, dark brown sugar and orange peel, and a hint of smoky char. The finish reads long and nutty over the same dark, leathery oak. A Heaven Hill tasting reviewer and several retail descriptions land on that same chocolate-cherry-and-leather core.

That is a composite of reviewers' readings rather than a distillery note. Not every taster loved it — one found it oak-heavy and needing water — but the throughline is consistent enough to trust: an old, dark, oak-driven bourbon held at a moderate proof.

Strategic Position

On the ultra-aged bourbon shelf at Midnight Whiskey this is a blue-chip collector's bottle from a series that rarely reaches retail. It rolls backward chronologically to link with the 15-year 9th edition framework and steps forward across the batch-chain architecture to connect with the older barrel-proof 19-year layout. Together the three show how far a single Kentucky-only series ranges across age and strength.

Technical Specifications

Distillery Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
Series William Heavenhill — 6th edition ("Black Label"; Kentucky-only, since 2008)
Class Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, small batch
Proof / ABV 106 proof (53% ABV)
Strength Small batch, non-chill filtered
Age 16 years (minimum)
Mash bill 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley
Released May 2018
Format 750 mL
Region Kentucky, USA

Collector Note

William Heavenhill is one of the quieter blue-chip series in Heaven Hill's range — Kentucky-only, tiny in volume, used to bottle some of the distillery's oldest stock — so any edition is hard to find at shelf, and secondary prices run high (the 16-year has averaged well over a thousand dollars). Two things worth knowing. It is the 6th edition, a May 2018 small batch at 106 proof, and it is the only 16-year the series has released, which makes it unambiguous once you read the age and edition off the label. And its construction is genuinely unusual: rather than a single marrying, fewer than sixty barrels were dumped into separate small batches by warehouse floor — Rickhouse H, Rickhouse Y and Warehouse DD — to keep each rickhouse's aging character distinct before bottling at 106 proof. That, more than the recipe, is what this edition is about.

Recommended Serving

Neat, in a Glencairn, with time to open. At 106 proof this is a moderate strength for a sixteen-year-old bourbon, so start without water — a few minutes of air does more, letting the dark chocolate-and-cherry notes come forward before the oak settles. One reviewer found it needed a little water to tame the oak, so if it reads too tannic, a few drops are a fair tool rather than a compromise. This is a slow, considered pour: a deeply-aged bourbon held at a strength that keeps its dark, leathery character legible rather than driving it.

Production Methodology

William Heavenhill is a selection-and-marrying exercise on top of Heaven Hill's standard bourbon production: the mash bill is the company's usual 78% corn, 10% rye and 12% malted barley, distilled by Heaven Hill and aged in its Bardstown rickhouse system. What sets the 6th edition apart is how it was assembled. Rather than pulling one large batch, Heaven Hill took fewer than sixty barrels aged at least sixteen years and dumped them into separate small batches organised by warehouse — barrels from the 5th floor of Rickhouse H, the 5th floor of Rickhouse Y, and the 6th floor of Warehouse DD — so that each rickhouse's distinct aging character was preserved rather than blended away. The whiskey was left non-chill filtered and proofed down to 106, a moderate strength chosen to keep sixteen years of oak in balance. The result is a dark, deeply-matured bourbon whose construction is as much about warehouse geography as about age.

Authentication & Vault Preservation

Every bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authentic, sealed product and inspected before it ships. Orders are packed with padded, glass-rated handling and require an adult signature (21+) on delivery; we do not ship to anyone unable to verify legal drinking age. For our full sourcing and handling protocols, see our editorial and authentication standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

What proof is William Heavenhill 6th Edition 16 Year?

The 6th edition is bottled at 106 proof, or 53% ABV, and left non-chill filtered. It is a small-batch release — several selected barrels married together and proofed to 106 — rather than a barrel-proof or single-barrel bottling. As a single edition, that figure is fixed for every bottle of the 6th edition.

Which William Heavenhill edition is the 16 Year?

The 6th edition, released in May 2018 and sometimes called the "Black Label." It is the only 16-year-old the series has bottled — other William Heavenhill editions run to different ages, such as the 15-year 9th edition and the 19-year 12th edition — so the edition, age and proof on the label are what identify it. It is a Kentucky-only limited release, like the rest of the series.

What is the mash bill of William Heavenhill 16 Year?

It uses Heaven Hill's standard bourbon mash bill — 78% corn, 10% rye and 12% malted barley — the same recipe behind Elijah Craig and Evan Williams. What distinguishes the 6th edition is age and selection: sixteen years in Heaven Hill's Bardstown warehouses, married into a small batch and bottled at 106 proof.
Shipping information

Adult Signature Required: Federal law requires an adult (21+) with a valid government ID to sign for all deliveries. Carriers cannot leave alcohol unattended.

Processing Time: Most orders process within 1–8 business days. You will receive a tracking number via email as soon as your bottle ships.

Insured Shipping: We strongly recommend electing Shipping Protection at checkout. Midnight Whiskey is not liable for loss or damage once in the carrier's possession unless insurance is purchased.

Restrictions: We ship only within the permitted U.S. states and cannot deliver to P.O. Boxes or U.S. Territories.

All Sales Final: Due to alcohol regulations, we cannot accept returns for change of mind.
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