The 2018 release of Heaven Hill's Parker's Heritage Collection, a Kentucky straight bourbon aged seven to eight years and then finished for four months in barrels that had held French orange curaçao. It was bottled at 110 proof (55% ABV) without chill filtration.
About This Bourbon
For the 12th Edition, Heaven Hill drew bourbon that had rested seven to eight years on the upper floors of Rickhouse Q, where summer heat pushes the spirit hard into the wood. It was then moved into barrels that had previously aged French orange curaçao liqueur for a further four months. The finish was the second collaboration between Heaven Hill and master blender Alain Royer. At the time the company described its warehouses as holding around 1.4 million barrels, the second-largest bourbon inventory anywhere.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Candied orange peel and marmalade over caramel, vanilla and warm cinnamon.
- Palate: Full and oily, with toffee, orange oil, brown sugar and a peppery rye edge from the bourbon underneath.
- Finish: Warming, drying to oak and baking spice with a lingering citrus sweetness.
Serving & Food
At 110 proof it rewards a little patience. Pour into a rocks glass or tulip, taste it neat, then add a few drops of water or a single large cube. Try it with orange-glazed duck, pecan pie, or dark chocolate with candied peel.
How to Enjoy
Bourbon drinkers following the Parker's series, and anyone curious to see how a liqueur-barrel finish can change a mature Kentucky bourbon.
Product Details
Producer: Heaven Hill Distillery
Series: Parker's Heritage Collection 12th Edition
Release Year: 2018
Country/Region: Kentucky, USA
Style: Kentucky straight bourbon finished in orange curaçao barrels
Age: 7 to 8 years, plus 4 months' finish
Strength: 110 proof / 55% ABV
Filtration: Non-chill filtered
Volume: 750mL
About the Distillery
Heaven Hill was founded in Bardstown, Kentucky, in 1935, just after Prohibition, and it is still owned and run by the Shapira family. The Parker's Heritage Collection honours Parker Beam, who spent decades as Heaven Hill's master distiller alongside his son Craig. Parker was diagnosed with ALS, and recent editions have each raised money for ALS research and patient care. The series changes style every year, moving between cask-strength bourbons, wheated mash bills, rye and barrel-finished editions, so no two numbers are alike.