The yearly drop of Parker’s Heritage Collection Limited Editions is often the most anticipated whiskey drop of the year. The releases from Heaven Hill — which honors the memory of their former Master Distiller Parker Beam — are very limited editions that are pulled deep from the company’s rickhouses. This year’s drop continues on the brand’s “heavy char” trajectory but with a wheat whiskey instead of a bourbon. Essentially, what we’re getting this year is a one-off and very unique edition of Heaven Hill’s Bernheim Wheat Whiskey, which is pretty exciting for fans of the brand out there.
Before we dive into what’s in the bottle, yes, this is a very rare bottle of whiskey. That means outside of very high-end whiskey shops and horse-trading for bottles, you’re not going to find this one randomly sitting on a shelf. In short, you have to want it and you have to then put in the work to get it. Good luck out there, folks!
Okay, let’s get into the latest release from Heaven Hill’s legendary Parker’s Heritage Collection.
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2021 Parker’s Heritage Collection Limited Edition
ABV: 62%
Average Price: $140 MSRP
The Whiskey:
This year’s release is a wheat whiskey that’s small-batched from 75 barrels with a heavy char. The juice in those barrels is a mash of 51 percent wheat, 37 percent corn, and 12 percent barley. The whiskey was matured on the sixth floor of Rickhouse Y for eleven long years before batching and bottling as is.
Tasting Notes:
The nose draws you in with a honey sweetness that’s steeped in nutmeg and cinnamon sticks with a hint of ginger snap, peanut brittle, and a fair amount of that heavily charred oak bitterness. The taste sweetens on the front of the palate as the honey turns to a rummy dark syrup vibe and then the midpalate kicks in with a buttery vanilla touch next to spicy tobacco notes and a fleeting hint of candied cherry on the very backend. The finish does warm considerably with that Kentucky hug next to an almost espresso oil bitterness from the char and a slight inch towards a dry apple cider with a hint of cinnamon tobacco.
The Bottle:
Parker’s Heritage bottles tend to stand out on the shelf. They’re bottom-heavy with a slight taper and a very iconic label and embossed logo.
Bottom Line:
If you’re a fan of wheat whiskey (especially Bernheim Wheat Whiskey from Heaven Hill), then this is a must-try. This is a wheat whiskey that’s taken to eleven with an accessible nose and palate that’s pleasantly easy-drinking yet complex (and rare) enough to merit the price tag.
Ranking:
94/100 — This is delicious and a highwater mark for the wheat whiskey genre.
