About
Heaven Hill Springs Distillery is Heaven Hill’s return to distilling in Bardstown, created as a working, state-of-the-art production site that was also thoughtfully designed to be a visitor destination. The experience is built around seeing the earliest phases of whiskey-making up close, from mash and fermentation to distillation, with tours operating via shuttle from the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience a short drive away. Visitors can expect a modern campus feel with a strong “back to our roots” story, plus a finish that brings it all together with a guided tasting after you’ve watched new make flow and learned how Heaven Hill keeps quality consistent across multiple mashbills.
History
The original Heaven Hill Springs Distillery was founded in 1935 by the Shapira brothers and local investors, anchoring Heaven Hill’s early whiskey-making in Bardstown, until a defining 1996 fire destroyed the old Springs distillery and tens of thousands of barrels, prompting Heaven Hill to acquire the Bernheim Distillery in 1999 and shift distilling operations to Louisville. The modern Springs chapter began in June 2022 when Heaven Hill broke ground on a new 61-acre Bardstown site to bring distillation back to Nelson County. The company describes the new distillery as built in 2025, notes its production scale is designed to grow, and states the first barrel was filled on-site in April 2025. Tours were announced to begin in September 2025, and they operate via the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience as the departure point rather than direct visitor entry at the Springs site.
Notoriety
Heaven Hill Springs Distillery is best known as a rare chance to see Heaven Hill’s distillation phase firsthand, and it stands out for blending heritage with modern choices like using live yeast while still relying on the same proprietary yeast strain Heaven Hill says has been passed down for generations and survived the 1996 fire. The campus is also memorable for its sustainability focus, with on-site waste handling and stormwater management alongside habitat-forward landscaping of native grasses, wildflowers, and hundreds of oak trees, creating a modern setting that pairs real production access with a visitor-friendly feel for anyone who wants more context than a tasting room before whiskey goes into the barrel.
experiences
Cocktail Classes
Duration:
N/A
Price:
N/A
At this time, the distillery does not offer any cocktail classes.
Tours & Tastings
Duration:
N/A
Price:
$60
Heaven Hill Springs Distillery blends a shuttle-led behind-the-scenes production tour with a guided tasting in Bardstown.
amenities
Cocktail Bar
Event Spaces
Food Options
Gift Shop
Pet Friendly
Scenic Location
Special Events
nearby
Distilleries
Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience
Willett Distillery
Lux Row Distillers
Things To Do
My Old Kentucky Home State Park
Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History
Bernheim Forest and Arboretum
Food & Drink
The Old Talbott Tavern
Mammy’s Kitchen & Bar
Scout & Scholar Brewing Co.
Stay
The Trail Hotel
Bardstown Motor Lodge
Distill Inn