Thirty years ago this week, an unspeakable catastrophe happened in the whiskey world, but instead of the end of a famous distillery, the disaster turned into a story of resilience.
The afternoon of Nov. 7, 1996, brought nasty thunderstorms and winds that neared hurricane force. Around 2 p.m., someone noticed smoke emanating from the seven-story Warehouse I at Heaven Hill Distillery. That rickhouse held around 20,000 barrels of bourbon.
No one ever figured out what caused the fire, but authorities believe that it was either a lightning strike or heavy winds blowing power lines onto the structure. When all was said and done, 90,000–95,000 barrels of aging bourbon — about 2% of the world’s whiskey stocks at the time — contained in seven rickhouses were gone.
“Despite the efforts of more than 125 firefighters from 26 departments, the fire destroyed seven warehouses, numerous distillery buildings, and 34 vehicles,” wrote Jay Bradish at Firehouse.com in 1997. “At the height of the fire, buildings covering more than 40 acres were involved.”
People on site reported exploding barrels and burning bourbon flowing across the road “like lava” or a “river of fire.” The bottling plant and 37 other warehouses survived the fire. Even more encouraging was that only minor injuries were reported.
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The next day, distillers Parker Beam and Charlie Downs discovered that the company’s yeast was intact and usable. This meant that operations could continue. Max L. Shapira, executive chairman and second-generation family owner of Heaven Hill, said that not a single employee would lose his or her job.
Other distilleries helped Heaven Hill get back on its feet, which was a remarkable show of solidarity in a competitive industry. It also helped Heaven Hill prove its resilience.
“Imagine if the GM dealership caught fire, Ford would be there with buckets of gasoline,” Master Distiller Connor O’Driscoll told Whisky Magazine. “But Brown-Forman and all the legacy distillers were asking, ‘What can we do to help?’ That kept us in business.”
To mark the 30th anniversary of the fire and the resilience that emerged from it, Heaven Hill is releasing a limited edition 18-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. It’s already available in select markets and at the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience in Bardstown, and it retails at $325.
“The fire brought tremendous loss, but it also showed the resolve of the people who chose to move forward together,” said Shapira. “That same spirit of adaptability and shared purpose continues to guide Heaven Hill today. Phoenix honors the employees, community members and industry partners who refused to let a single night define generations of craftsmanship.”
“Bottled at 107 proof, Heaven Hill Phoenix begins with 18-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey produced in March 2008 and fully matured in heavy-char barrels,” reads Heaven Hill’s press release. “Within the blend, 30-year-old whiskey distilled at Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery is mingled with the heavy-char Bourbon, giving each bottle a tangible connection to the original distillery.”
“Heaven Hill Phoenix balances the mature oak and length of its 30-year-old component with the structure of 18-year-old Bourbon aged in heavy-char oak,” said O’Driscoll. “The determination that carried us through the fire lives on in Phoenix, bridging that pivotal moment in our past with our ongoing commitment to producing exceptional, ultra-aged whiskeys.”
Heaven Hill Phoenix is a testament to a company that was bound and determined to move past its darkest day and emerge stronger. There are lessons we can all learn from this story, and I think we can all drink to that!
This week’s Whiskey Wednesday is free for everyone, but normally, these columns are a VIP perk. Consider this one a sample — the kind they pour at the distillery before you decide to bring a bottle home.
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