Mellow Corn Straight Corn Whiskey
Mellow Corn Straight Corn Whiskey is a 750mL Kentucky straight corn whiskey bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV) under the Bottled-in-Bond Act — the product of one distillery and one distilling season, aged four years in bonded warehouses and cut with water only. Heaven Hill distills it from an 80% corn, 8% rye and 12% malted barley mash and ages it in once-used bourbon barrels, the used-oak rule that defines corn whiskey and leaves it a lighter straw colour than bourbon. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 50% (100 proof, Bottled-in-Bond)
- Size: 750mL
- Mash: 80% corn, 8% rye, 12% malted barley (Heaven Hill's published recipe)
- Ageing: 4 years in once-used bourbon barrels
- Producer: Heaven Hill Distillery, Kentucky
- Award: Best American Non-Bourbon, World Whiskies Awards 2015
The Bottled-in-Bond Corn Whiskey, From a Brand Born in 1945
Mellow Corn was created in 1945 by the Medley Distilling Co. of Owensboro, Kentucky, and joined Heaven Hill in 1993 — making Heaven Hill one of the few remaining producers of straight corn whiskey, a style that predates bourbon itself. The used-barrel ageing is the point: without new charred oak dominating, the corn's own softly spiced sweetness leads, at a full bonded 100 proof. It was named Best American Non-Bourbon at the World Whiskies Awards 2015. Explore the producer on the Mellow Corn vendor page, or browse our whisky collection.
Tasting Notes
Per Heaven Hill: pale straw in the glass; oak and delicate spice on the nose; a full-bodied, textured palate with a softly spiced sweetness; a sweet, chewy finish the brand compares to Barbadian rum.
How to Enjoy
Neat or over ice to feel the bonded proof, or in a whiskey sour where the corn sweetness leads. More Kentucky whiskey is in our bourbon whiskey collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mellow Corn a bourbon?
No. Mellow Corn is a straight corn whiskey: a mash of at least 80% corn aged in once-used barrels. Bourbon must age in new charred oak — that used-barrel rule is exactly what makes corn whiskey its own category.
What proof is Mellow Corn?
100 proof (50% ABV). As a Bottled-in-Bond whiskey it must be bottled at exactly 100 proof, from one distillery and one distilling season, aged at least four years.
Who makes Mellow Corn?
Heaven Hill Distillery in Kentucky. The brand was created by Medley Distilling Co. in 1945 and acquired by Heaven Hill in 1993.
America's bonded corn whiskey, straw-pale and full-proof — order Mellow Corn online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
