Heaven Hill Released Its Latest Parker’s Heritage Collection Bourbon
Heaven Hill is best known for producing affordable but high-quality whiskeys, like the bourbon that falls under the Elijah Craig and Evan Williams names. But the Kentucky distillery also makes some bottles that fall into the unicorn whiskey category, and one of those—Parker’s Heritage Collection—is back with a new release that has a very interesting production plotline twist.
Parker’s Heritage Collection is named after the late master distiller Parker Beam, who joined Heaven Hill in 1960 when his father, Earl Beam, was master distiller there. Fifteen years later, he took over that job, and over the years he launched Elijah Craig as the industry’s first “small batch” bourbon in 1986 and spearheaded the introduction of single-barrel bourbons in the 1990s. In 2010, he was diagnosed with ALS, and he passed away in January of 2017.
Parker’s Heritage Collection was actually created years before in 2007 to honor his legacy, and it has been an annual release ever since—and over the past decade or so a portion of the proceeds from sales of this whiskey go toward research to combat ALS. “Parker’s Heritage Collection has allowed us to celebrate the extraordinary legacy of Parker Beam—his passion, his craft and the lasting impact he had on Heaven Hill and American whiskey,” said Max Shapira, executive chairman of Heaven Hill, in a statement. “We are proud that each release carries forward both his memory and his enduring commitment to doing things the right way.”
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The most recent release is a 14-year-old bourbon made from Heaven Hill’s classic mashbill of 78 percent corn, 10 percent rye, and 12 percent malted barley, and comes from a run of just 100 barrels. It was distilled between October 2011 and January 2012, and aged for in four rickhouses on multiple floors (second floor of Rickhouse A, first and second floors of Rickhouse KK, and third floors of Rickhouses L and M). So far, so good, and nothing that unusual. But according to the brand, some rye backset was incorporated into its production, meaning some of the liquid left over from a previous distillation was added to this batch of whiskey. That technique is very common and part of the sour mash process, but the fact that it was specifically rye backset does make it a bit unusual.
“Parker understood that the smallest details in the whiskey-making process can have a meaningful impact on the final pour,” said current master distiller Conor O’Driscoll in a statement. “This edition reflects that belief, using rye backset to create a 14-year-old bourbon with remarkable depth, balance and spice. We’re proud to honor Parker’s enduring influence through a release that celebrates his steadfast belief in making the highest quality whiskey.” The bourbon was bottled at 118 proof with no chill filtration.
Like other Parker’s Heritage Collection releases, this is a limited-edition whiskey, so it may be hard to find depending on where you are—and might very well be listed for more than its $200 suggested price. Still, if you’re familiar with the collection or just a Heaven Hill fan, this is a bottle worth hunting down.
Authors
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Jonah Flicker
