I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample to me with no strings attached.
I’m not going to lie. I’ve been slacking a bit on reporting on samples that companies have sent to me. Between vacation, a covid scare, the worst allergies I’ve had in years, and then a booster shot, I haven’t had many opportunities for tasting whiskey. But that seems to be changing. I feel great so let’s start taking a look at the backlog.
Tonight’s whiskey was provided by Heaven Hill. It is the 2021 Edition of the Parker’s Heritage Collection. the 15th Edition if you can believe that. My, how time flies. This edition is an 11-year-old wheat whiskey, using the same mashbill as their Bernheim product. It comes in at a whopping 122° proof.
I’ll let Heaven Hill tell you what makes this special:
This edition continues the award-winning series of heavy char releases, exploring how a more intense char allows the liquid to penetrate deeper into each barrel stave and the effects on the resulting flavor. Comprised of 75 barrels charred for one minute and 30 seconds (Level 5), as opposed to the traditional 40 second char (Level 3) for Heaven Hill, the Wheat Whiskey reached peak maturation after 11 years on the sixth floor of Rickhouse Y. The heavy char allowed Heaven Hill’s traditional Wheat Whiskey mashbill of 51% wheat, 37% corn, and 12% malted barley to interact more with the oak, extracting a mix of sweetness, filled with hints of molasses and butterscotch. This release is only the second time the Wheat Whiskey mashbill has been featured in the Parker’s Heritage Collection, with the first released in 2014 as an Original Batch Cask Strength.
And as with previous versions of the Parker’s Heritage Collection, a portion of the proceeds of each bottle will go to support ALS research and patient care.
Parker's Heritage Collection: Heavy Char Rye Whiskey
Purchase Info: This review sample was graciously provided to me by Heaven Hill for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $139.99 for a 750 mL bottle.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $9.33
Details: 11 years old, 61% ABV.
Nose: Very hot, very spicy. Notes of cinnamon, mint, almond, and oak.
Mouth: Cinnamon spice, mint leaves, vanilla, almond.
Finish: Long and warm with notes of dusty oak, red fruits, chocolate, mint, and a nice nuttiness.
Thoughts: Hot and spicy as might be expected from the high proof. The flavor seems most heavily influenced by the barrel, rather than the mash bill which is expected from both a double-digit age and a majority wheat mash bill. Overall, this is pretty close to what I would have expected. Which is to say that it is very, very good.
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