Parker’s Heritage Collection 11-Year-Old Heavy Char Wheat Whiskey

A little background

The Parker’s Heritage Collection is produced by Heaven Hill as an honorarium to Parker Beam. In 1975, Beam continued the tradition when he was named the 6th generation Master Distiller at Heaven Hill Distillery. Parker Beam was diagnosed with ALS in 2010 and passed away after a 7-year battle with the disease.

Parker’s Heritage 11-Year Old Heavy Char Wheat Whiskey is the 15th edition of the annual ultra-premium release from Heaven Hill. This whiskey is made from the traditional Heaven Hill Wheat Whiskey mash bill of 51% wheat, 37% corn, and 12% malted barley. According to Heaven Hill, this release is 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. 

Parker’s Heritage Collection 11-Year-Old Heavy Char Wheat Whiskey is Bottled at 122 proof (62% abv), non-chill filtered, and has a retail price of $139.99.

(Tasted neat from a Glencairn Glass)

Color

Mahogany

Nose

Orange, lemon citrus, cinnamon, baking spice, menthol cherry, custard, and oak. Plenty of alcohol.

Palate

A short and viscus palate with notes of Orange Tang, tea bags, baking spice, fudge, and cinnamon.

Finish

A finish that goes for days! Initial notes of bitter coffee, cocoa, cinnamon, and oak. Further notes of charred camp firewood, bitter nuts, sweet tea, and oak come through.

In closing

Unsurprisingly, Heaven Hill has released yet another unique and captivating Parker’s Heritage Collection bottle. The 15th edition of 11-Year Old Heady Char Wheat Whiskey has an alcohol presence that is upfront and forward throughout the entire experience. The palate is rich and viscous, but short lived. The finish immediately takes over, taking the drinker on a long and complex tasting experience. This whiskey is big, rich, and absolutely worthy of the “Parker’s Heritage Collection” label. 11-Year Old Heady Char Wheat Whiskey is a wonderful release and like all releases in the Parker’s Heritage Collection, supports a wonderful causev