Parker’s Heritage Collection 2016 Arrives as 24 Year Bonded Bourbon

Heaven Hill, among its various lines, has a special extra affinity for the Parker’s Heritage Collection. This annual release, now in its tenth year, is named in honor of Parker Beam, the distillery’s Master Distiller Emeritus. He has suffered now from ALS for a number of years, so the Heritage offerings go towards raising money for research and patient care for this disease. The 2016 edition looks to be one which will likely go fast and raise good funds for this endeavor, as it is a 24-year-old, bottled-in-bond bourbon.

Here are the specifics on the Parker’s Heritage Collection 2016 edition, as spelled out by the distillery:

The 2016 edition, the tenth in the series, features two separate versions of the Bottled-in-Bond product, expected to be 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.

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.

Packaged in the same upscale 750ml bottle as the previous nine editions but with a cream colored label, the Parker’s Heritage Collection 24-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey bottling reflects the care and craftsmanship of its contents.

Now, the price of admission for this release, as you would expect, is up there. We are talking around $250 per 750 ml bottle, with $15 of each sale going towards the cause-related campaign. Plans call for this bourbon to hit the market in September.

“We are proud to again offer a unique Bourbon style for the Parker’s Heritage Collection, one that is a nod to Heaven Hill’s expertise with Bottled-in-Bond products,” said Susan Wahl, American Whiskey Group Portfolio Manager at Heaven Hill Distillery, in a prepared statement. “As the oldest Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon in the world, we anticipate this to be another highly sought after addition to whiskey fanatics’ collections and, as important to us, it will enable a significant contribution to ALS research and patient care efforts.”