Updated May 2026.
There is no official “best corn whiskey.” Corn whiskey is a TTB class: mash ≥80% corn, and if aged it uses used or uncharred oak — not bourbon’s new-charred barrel. Heaven Hill prints Mellow Corn at 100 proof (50% ABV), four years, bottled in bond. A 1.5-ounce pour is 1.25 NIAAA drinks.
Legal “moonshine” jars may be corn whiskey or a flavored specialty — read the class line. Related: moonshine vs whiskey, bonded whiskey, what is bourbon.
Corn whiskey is not bourbon
| Corn whiskey | Bourbon | |
|---|---|---|
| Mash floor | ≥80% corn | ≥51% corn |
| Oak if aged | Used or uncharred new | New charred oak |
| Mellow Corn | 100 proof; BiB; 4 years on-page | — |
| 1.5 oz at 50% | 1.25 drinks | — |
A 750 mL 50% bottle is about 21 drinks. Four Mellow Corn pours are five drinks. We will not invent a mash-bill percentage or a 2026 MSRP. Pour math: whiskey drinks.
Sources
- heavenhilldistillery.com/mellow-corn.php: 100 Proof; aged four years in a once-used bourbon barrel; mash at least 80 percent corn; bottled-in-bond rules restated on-page.
- TTB 27 CFR 5.143 (corn whisky vs bourbon); 5.88. NIAAA December 2025. Mash % unused.