The uniqueness of this bottling lies not only in its age, but also in its Bottled-in-Bond designation. Bottled-in-Bonds, as they are referred, have experienced renewed interest by consumers because of the long and storied history behind such a designation. Offering the most Bottled-in-Bond labels of any distiller, Heaven Hill helped to maintain this sub-category during leaner years and, more recently, has fueled interest in it with the launch of several new Bottled-in-Bond bottlings, including the newest edition of Parker’s Heritage Collection. The 24-year-old, Bottled-in-Bond will be shipping into select markets across the country beginning in September.
The 2016 edition, the tenth in the series, features two separate versions of the Bottled-in-Bond product, is the oldest Bottled-in-Bond in the world. It was produced in Fall 1990 and Spring 1991 at Heaven Hill’s distillery in Bardstown, KY, (D.S.P. KY-31), which was later destroyed in 1996 by fire along with seven rickhouses and over 90,000 barrels. The liquid is bottled by season in order to retain its Bottled-in-Bond designation. While Heaven Hill now produces its award-winning Bourbon and American Whiskey out of the Bernheim Distillery in downtown Louisville, this Parker’s Heritage Collection edition will feature the original distillery designation on the back label, making it a worthy successor to the previous nine releases.
TASTING NOTES
Bottled at 100 proof (50% abv) and non-chill filtered, the Bourbon will retain more of the natural esters and fatty acids that have matured in the barrel for almost a quarter of a century, providing a richer mouthfeel. Oak flavor is prominent with hints of cinnamon and vanilla, rounded out by a clean finish with a hint of chocolate.
