Parker’s Heritage Collection- 10y.o. Cask Strength Rye Review (2023)

Rising from the ashes of Prohibition and into the midst of the Great Depression in Bardstown, KY, Heaven Hill Distillery has grown to be the largest independent family-owned and operated producer of distilled spirits products in the US, and the second-largest holder of bourbon whiskey inventory in the world. The distillery was set up in 1935 after a small group approached the Shapira family seeking capital investment to set up a distillery using their technical expertise. Following personal financial difficulties among the other members of the founding group, their interests in the “Old Heavenhill Springs” distillery were bought out by the Shapira family making the distillery a fully family-owned enterprise. With renewed purpose, the family kept on one of the original investors, James L. Beam as Master Distiller, and hired the best bourbon-producing talent they could find in their local Bardstown. Four years later in 1939, they released their first product, a 4-year-old Bottled in Bond bourbon under the Old Heaven Hill brand. The brand quickly became one of the top-selling bourbons in the State and cemented the distillery’s position as one of the top bourbon producers in Kentucky at the time. The name of the distillery originates from the family name of William Heavenhill who was an early pioneer farmer and owned the original property on which the distillery sat. When originally registering the company a clerical mistake resulted in the name becoming Heaven Hill as opposed to Heavenhill.
On November 7th 1996 a fire that started in one of the barrel ageing warehouses spread by strong winds, destroying almost the entire distillery and numerous ageing warehouses. Overall 90,000 barrels of whisky were lost and for the next 3 years the company was dependent on production capacity in neighbouring distilleries. In 1999 Heaven Hill completed the purchase of the Old Bernheim Distillery from Diageo in Louisville and once the distillery was adapted, the production and distillation end moved to Louisville whilst ageing, bottling, and shipping still occur on the original Bardstown site.
Today the modern iteration of the company, Heaven Hill Brands, has become a diversified supplier of whiskeys, liqueurs, vodkas, rums, and other spirits. They own 57 rickhouses in Central KY and distribute over 48 brands including 17 bourbon labels such as Henry McKenna, Elijah Craig, Evan William, Larceny, Old Fitzgerald, and Rittenhouse Rye to name a few. The distillery also has the largest number of Bottled in Bond whiskies on the market and is the only heritage distiller that features every major category of American whiskey in their 5 distinct mashbills producing traditional bourbon, wheated bourbon, rye whiskey, corn whiskey, and wheat whiskey. Under 7th Master Distiller (and fellow countryman) Conor O’Driscoll the distillery was on course to fill almost 400,000 barrels last year and with continued investment production capacity is growing every year to meet rising demand.

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First Launched in 2007 to honour Heaven Hill’s late Master Distiller of over 50 years Parker Beam, Parker’s Heritage Collection is an annual limited-release whiskey that, until his untimely passing in 2017, consisted of whiskey chosen by Parker himself from some of his favourite spots in the Heaven Hill’s many warehouses or from some of his favourite blends, styles, and barrel finishes. With the first edition introducing the bourbon world to Heaven Hill’s first barrel-proof bourbon, this annual release has since grown to be one of the most sought-after whiskies of the year and has featured a wide range of Heaven Hill stocks including malt whiskey, rye whiskey, wheated bourbon, high rye bourbon, as well as some very interesting barrel finished whiskies and blends.

In the fall of 2012, Parker was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an incurable and progressive nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing a loss of muscle control over time. With his diagnosis announced publicly in early 2013, the focus of the Parker’s Heritage Collection shifted from being a unique whiskey experience for consumers to also becoming a platform for Parker to both advocate for those with ALS, raise much-needed funds for further research into the disease, and also directly improving the quality of life of those with the disease. As such, since the 2013 ‘Promise of Hope’ release, a part of the proceeds from the sales of each bottle sold has been going towards the US-based ALS association’s Parker’s Promise of Hope Fund. In the 7 years since the creation of the fund, Heaven Hill, their regional distributors, and local retailers have raised over $1 million toward ALS research and patient care.

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Announced in August of 2023, Heaven Hill fans rejoiced when news broke that this year’s bottling of Parker’s Heritage Collection would feature a 10-year-old cask-strength rye whiskey. Now in its 17^th release, this year’s bottling is the first time a cask-strength rye whiskey has been featured and is the second time a rye whiskey has featured in the collection, with the first being 2019’s wildly popular 8 y.o. Heavy Char Rye whiskey. According to the distillery, the rye whiskey used in this release was barrelled in August, October, or December of 2012 and aged on the first floors of Rickhouses H1 and H2, the fifth floor of Rickhouse FF, the third and seventh floors of Rickhouse BB, and the second floor of Rickhouse DD. The mashbill for this edition was Heaven Hill’s traditional rye whiskey mashbill of 51% rye, 35% corn, and 14% malted barley. The whiskey was bottled at 128.8 proof (64.4% ABV) and bottled uncut without chill filtration to preserve the flavours.

Vital Stats:

Name: Parker’s Heritage Collection – 10y.o. Cask Strength Rye Whiskey
Age: 10 y.o.
Proof: 128.8 proof (64.4% ABV)
Type: Kentucky straight rye whiskey
Mashbill: 51% rye, 35% corn, and 14% malted barley
Producer: Heaven Hill Distillery, KY
Website: https://heavenhilldistillery.com/parkers-heritage-collection.php 
Glassware: Glencairn

Review

Nose: The nose opens with cacoa notes yeilding to soft red and black fruits stewed in dark brown sugar. As you nose deeper, the barrel notes continue to develop with deep chocolate and earthy baking spices such as cloves and toasted almonds, the syrup notes gain a lovely butterscotch edge, and the fruit notes become increasingly complex, adding depth and nuance.

Palate: This whiskey hits the palate with a bang, exploding with bold and vibrant tart fruit notes, charred tannic oak, and a fiery kick of earthy herbaceous rye. These are accompanied by dark caramel notes, deep dark chocolate, and earthy baking spices, which add further depth and complexity. Once the initial burst of flavours fades, notes of vanilla, heavily toasted almonds, and black fruits remain alongside smoky notes of barrel char, dark chocolate, and near-burnt caramel.

Finish: The finish is long and complex, opening with lingering heat, a burst of near-burnt caramel notes, dark chocolate, and a hint of dried fruits. The oak tannins are prominent and leave a dry sensation on the tongue and cheeks, leading to a slightly bitter but pleasant aftertaste of cacao edged by notes of caramel, fruits, and toasted nuts.

Overall 

Before I even start talking about this release I have to point out that I am a massive fan of Heaven Hill’s rye whiskies. Having first encountered them through Rittenhouse Rye and then Pikesville 110, their bold and grain-forward profile instantly caught my attention and I’ve had my fingers crossed that we’d see a barrel-proof release sooner rather than later. It appears dreams can come true because here I am sipping a stellar barrel-proof release that’s aged to perfection – pinch me! This whiskey hits your palate with a flood of rye-forward flavours all turned up to maximise their impact and flowing seamlessly between rich herbaceous rye notes, sweet dark caramels, earthy peppery barrel spices, and dark chocolate char notes. Sprinkled over all this are also the classic Heaven Hill fire-roasted almonds just in case you got so carried away by the layers of flavour left coating your palate and cheeks that you forgot where this came from. It’s big, it’s bold, it’s rye forward and barrel heavy – exactly what you would wish from a barrel-proof, non-chill filtered Heaven Hill rye whiskey. Regardless of your previous experience with barrel proof rye whiskies, this is ready to change your perspective and makes me wish Heaven Hill had a consistent release of their rye at barrel-proof and a good age.
Although this release effortlessly exceeds the high standard set by previous Parker’s Heritage Collection releases, it is not the first rye whiskey released under this prestigious label. The first was 2019’s 13th Edition 8 y.o. Heavy Char Rye which also happens to be my favourite Heaven Hill rye whiskey that I’ve tasted to date. Given that I have a bottle of each, the only logical next step was to put the two side by side so a victor could be decided.
I first noticed that the Heavy Char release (HC8) is notably darker in colour compared to the 10 – for obvious reasons I imagine! When nosed side by side, the HC8 has richer caramels, and notes not found in the 10 such as white pepper and coffee. The 10, on the other hand, has a darker more herbaceous rye profile, smells notably older than the HC8, has darker caramels and richer barrel spice notes of cloves and cinnamon. On the palate, the HC8 was similar in profile to the 10 to some degree but with softer, less herbaceous rye notes, more caramels, fresh cherries instead of dried, sweet cinnamon, and milk chocolate note whilst leaving a faint aftertaste of coffee. In the 10, the caramels are noticeably dark and more intense, the herbaceous rye notes more concentrated, and the added proof drives the fruits, and the charred barrel notes of cloves and cacao to greater complexities. The 10 is certainly a step up from the HC8 despite it having the advantage of heavily charred barrels, and is more herbaceous, whereas the 8 appears to be more of a balance between the rye and barrel influences. When tasting these side by side it’s clear that they are definitely sisters, not twins and the 10 is a different beast altogether.

With a few drops of water added, this whiskey transforms as follows:
The nose opens with rich caramels, white pepper, and grassy rye, complemented by toasted almond and faint charred oak tannins. There are also notes of thick brown sugars, a hint of rye character, a touch more fruit, faint citrus peel, and savoury charred oak almonds.
The palate opens with zero burn as the rye flavours become mintier and are filled out with red fruits like cranberries and a touch of raspberry, rich caramels, and faint powdered sugar notes. As you keep chewing, the charred oak spice builds on the palate again but more methodically as the spice builds slowly from the front of the tongue to the back without overwhelming the palate and offers the usual flavours of earthy spices, and dark green rye.
The finish lingers with grassy spice, maple syrup, and subtle dark charred oak notes. The aftertaste leaves an echo of grassy rye, white pepper, rich maple syrup, and charred tannins lingering on the inside of your cheeks.
Overall, the rye spice and character are definitely tamed through a few drops of water for those who struggle with this aspect of barrel-proof rye whiskies. That being said, if you are a barrel-proof rye lover who is looking for something older and bolder than most other sought-after limited-edition rye whiskies then look no further than this gem! Every drop leaves a thick layer of flavour on everything it touches making it a flavour-heavy and very enjoyable rye whiskey drinking experience where the whiskey itself never loses its fiery edge and is packed full of flavour. No fancy bells and whistles, just a delicious barrel-proof rye whiskey, I think Parker would be very proud!
The annual Parker’s Heritage Collection release is a personal highlight of Heaven Hill’s limited releases. Every year the Heaven Hill team work hard to release an innovative and captivating whiskey that embodies the legacy of Parker Beam, reflects his passion for producing great whiskies, and offers fans a unique and unparalleled experience outside of what’s typically available from the distillery. Furthermore, the added satisfaction of supporting a noble cause that was close to Parker’s heart makes these releases all the more sweet, and from the releases I’ve tasted to date they do a great job in honouring the legendary Master Distiller.

Try or Buy?

This is robust, it’s complex and offers Heaven Hill fans a unique opportunity to taste their rye whiskey unlike ever before. With a suggested retail price of $185, it’s above my ‘buy now!’ $100 threshold, however, it’s worth remembering that each bottle sold has a direct positive impact on someone’s quality of life. Therefore, I’d say if you can find this for under $200, and it’s within your budget, seriously consider it.