Parker’s Heritage Collection Golden Anniversary Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 3rd Edition 50% ABV $150 Website What the Distillery Says: The third edition honors Parker’s Golden Anniversary. Parker hand-selected Bourbon from each decade of his illustrious career and married them together. The undeniable smooth taste of this small batch Bourbon is a true representation of its namesake and while this brand, Parker’s Heritage Collection, is a tribute to him, this specific edition celebrates his 50 years of Bourbon making.
Parker’s Heritage Collection Golden Anniversary was awarded “2010 American Whiskey of the Year” by Malt Advocate Magazine, “2010 World’s Best New Release” by Whisky Magazine’s World Whiskey Awards, “2010 Bourbon of the Year, No Age Statement (Multiple Barrels)”by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2010.
What Elizabeth Says: Nose: Dried cherries in a barrel. Palate: Vanilla and wheat fields in a fierce wind. Finish: Delightful. Comments: I really like the whole package of this one from start to finish. Rating: Must Try
What Richard Says: Nose: Honey drizzled fruits, vanilla extract, hints of yeast rolls, and brown butter sauce. Palate: Banana’s Foster, caramel ice cream,polished oak furniture with leather accents, and cherry pie. Finish: Long and lingering with wood and pepper. Comments: Good God Damn! This is amazing. Top…five…bourbon…ever! Delicious, approachable, and layers of complexity to keep you busy on multiple visits. Rating: Must Buy
Parker’s Heritage Collection Promise of Hope Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 7th Edition 48% ABV $85-$90 Website What the Distillery Says: For Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc., the fall release of the annual Parker’s Heritage Collection bottling is always a labor of love, but this year’s release could more accurately be described as a labor for love.
Heaven Hill Master Distiller Emeritus Parker Beam, who has recently been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (also called ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease), and for whom the acclaimed series is named, has selected special barrels of Bourbon for this year’s edition that mirror his own personal preference for age, proof and warehouse location. Called the “Promise of Hope” bottling, this seventh in the acclaimed series will feature a remarkable cause-related component—for each bottle of the “Promise of Hope” edition sold, Heaven Hill will contribute $20 to the Parker Beam Promise of Hope Fund, a fund established through the ALS Association in honor of the legendary 6th Generation Master Distiller (www.alsa.org/ParkerBeamPromiseofHope). Heaven Hill is estimating the overall contribution to the Promise of Hope Fund will be in excess of $250,000.
In addition to being the first cause-related bottling in the Parker’s Heritage Collection series, the Promise of Hope bottling will mark the first time that a single barrel American Whiskey has been offered in the collection. Parker Beam, a past recipient of Whisky Advocate’s Lifetime Achievement Award and a charter member of the Bourbon Hall of Fame who is in his 53rd year at Heaven Hill, painstakingly sampled and selected Bourbon barrels that met his own personal “wish list” criteria. From among Heaven Hill’s nearly one million barrels in storage, Parker selected approximately 100 barrels of ten-year-old rye-based Bourbon from one of his favorite warehouses, the tiered 80-year-old Rickhouse EE in Deatsville, where they sat in high storage for 40 seasons. Each of the chosen barrels was dumped and bottled, with no chill-filtering, in 750ml bottles at Parker’s preferred bottling proof of 96° (48% alcohol/volume). The 7th Edition Parker’s Heritage Collection Promise of Hope will be available on select retail shelves and at fine bars and restaurants nationwide starting in mid-September at an average retail price of $90 for the 750ml bottle.
This year’s release of Parker’s Heritage Collection promises to be a worthy successor to the previous six releases, which, having won multiple awards from Whisky Advocate Magazine (formerly Malt Advocate Magazine), Whisky Magazine and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, stand as some of the most critically lauded American Whiskeys in recent memory. Past bottlings have won awards ranging from “Best North American Whiskey” to “American Whiskey of the Year” to “Best of Show, Brown Spirits.”
Packaged in the same upscale 750ml bottle as the previous six editions, the Parker’s Heritage Collection Promise of Hope bottling is part of a number of cause-related efforts Heaven Hill and Parker Beam have recently taken on to help in the fight against ALS, a neurological disease which affects approximately 30,000 Americans at any time. Also part of this effort is the recently announced Master Distillers’ Unity, a special crystal two bottle set of Bourbon from all the major Kentucky heritage distilleries blended together which will be offered at the Bonham’s Whisky, Cognac and Rare Spirits auction in New York City on October 13th. All proceeds from the auction of this one-time bottling will also go toward the Promise of Hope Fund.
“I, my wife Linda, my son Craig and all my family are honored and enthusiastic about our efforts toward helping those affected by ALS”, stated Parker Beam, “and the new Promise of Hope edition of my Parker’s Heritage Collection represents a great way for Bourbon fans and even novices to enjoy a great single barrel Bourbon while helping make a real difference in the fight against ALS. I enjoyed developing the profile and selecting these barrels that represent ‘my favorite things’ in a Bourbon, and I feel sure that anyone who purchases a bottle will get an outstanding single barrel Bourbon and the satisfaction of knowing they are helping with this worthy cause.”
The 2013 Parker’s Heritage Collection Promise of Hope is a very limited release, as all of the previous six editions have been, but Heaven Hill will be releasing more cases than in the past to maximize fund raising. And as always, once these are shipped from Bardstown, no more will be available.
What Elizabeth Says: Nose: Melon with beads of honey dripping onto oak. Palate: Sharp and deadly golden fruit. Finish: Smooth and more subtle. Comments: It is sharp but strangely addictive. You hope to keep on sipping it. Rating: Stands Out
What Richard Says: Nose: Pipe tobacco, old leather, caramel apples, dusty old books like in a boarded up library. Musty right after opening the bottle. The nose opens up as it sits. Palate: Caramels, vanilla cream, viscous and mouth coating. Nice wood back bone. Finish: Hot, in your face, and no nonsense. A quick flash then a long fade to oak with vanilla hints peaking around the corners. Comments: This is supposedly “how Parker likes his bourbon” in that the selection comes right from his sweet spot in terms of age, location, proof etc. This isn’t changing anybody’s religion on drink but it’s damn good. It is very “bourbon-y” in all the right ways. I could only drink this for the rest of my days and be perfectly content. Just like eating where the locals do, I guess tailing the Master Distiller to his sweet spot pays dividends too. Rating: Must Try
What the Blender Says: Cutty Sark is announcing a new edition to its line of blended Scotch whiskies. A nod to the brand’s origins during the Prohibition era, Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition Blended Scotch Whisky pays tribute to the style of liquid consumed during the 1920s.
Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition (coined “Cutty Pro” by its early adopters) salutes the notorious Captain William McCoy, who courageously smuggled Cutty Sark into American speakeasies. McCoy possessed an infamous reputation as a distributor of the highest quality products, always genuine and never adulterated, giving rise to Cutty Sark’s affectionate nickname, “The Real McCoy.” The black opaque bottle design and cork seal are a respectful hat tip to the type of whisky bottles prevalent during the Prohibition era.
“This blend is created with exact precision as Captain McCoy himself would approve to celebrate the 80th anniversary of such a significant era,” said Kirsteen Campbell, Cutty Sark Master Blender. “We look forward to sharing this whisky with those who possess the same free spirit as McCoy’s original fans did in the 1920s.”
Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition is handcrafted in Scotland in small batches from top quality grain and single malt whiskies, matured in American Oak casks and bottled at 50% ABV (100 proof).
Tasting Notes: The full flavor of Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition is composed of black pepper and toffee notes with a subtle hint of vanilla and citrus fruits and a smooth finish due to its cold filtration process.
Appearance: Warm golden color Nose: Soft, ripe citrus fruits, honey and vanilla Palate: Creamy richness, hints of toffee with peppery notes Finish: Smooth with subtle hints of spice
What Elizabeth Says: Nose: Licorice wrapped buttery wood. Palate: Buttery, vanilla. Finish: Overwhelmingly tart. Comments: I’ll skip the chance of being caught drinking Prohibition. Rating: Probably Pass
What Richard Says: Nose: Roasted nuts drizzled with a sherry reduction, woody, and creamy. Palate: A fruit tart that I just can’t place. Creamy rich mouth feel. Vanilla creme brulee with a nutty back. Finish: The proof is great on the palate but a little rougher on the finish. Dry and medium length. Nothing offensive, just a little hot. Comments: Very nice. I haven’t always been the biggest fan of other Cutty Sarks I’ve tried but I’ really digging this bottle. It’s a taste dram though. The nose and finish don’t add much to the party but it is surely tasty. Rating: Stands Out
We would like to thank Vicki Loo with Three Sixty Communications for sending us a bottle to review.
Alexander Murray & Co Mortlach Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 22 Years 40% ABV $50 (Costco Exclusive)
What the Bottler Says: Mortlach distillery was established in 1823 by John Findlater, Mortlach was the first of Dufftown’s seven distilleries. The distillery has always been held in high regard and is locally thought on, as one of the very best Speyside whiskies. Alexander Murray brings you this rare bottling of Mortlach distilled in 1989, matured for 22 years in oak casks. It is dark golden in color, on the nose is quite subtle with elegant depth. Notes of barley, hints of oaked tannins and dry wood. The palate is smooth and buttery, with a long warm spicy finish. Perfect for any occasion.
What Elizabeth Says: Nose: Cherry oak furniture stored in your great grandfather’s barn. Palate: Swishes well, delightfully smooth. Finish: Strong spicy berry taste but not overpowering. Comments: Yummy. Not complicated at all but sometimes simple is best. Rating: Must Try
What Richard Says: Nose: Fresh butter, apricots, hints of grass, grain, and sherry. Palate: Surprisingly sweet and delicate. Brown sugar crumbles on peaches and cream. Finish: A little harsher than the I would’ve expected after the nose and palate. Oak, rubbery, and very dry. Comments: This one is a Costco exclusive bottled under the Alexander Murray label. Not nearly as aggressive as other Mortlach’s I’ve had but very drinkable. The nose is nice and the palate is great. The finish leaves a little to be desired but at less than $50 you can’t go wrong. Rating: Must Buy
The Balvenie Portwood Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 21 Years 43% ABV $180 – $230 Website What the Distillery Says: To create The Balvenie PortWood Aged 21 Years, a marriage of rare Balvenie is transferred to port casks, or pipes, which have held fine port wines. Here it is sampled regularly by The Balvenie Malt Master to ensure that just the right amount of character is imparted by the port casks, enhancing and developing the single malt whilst preserving its original characteristics. In duty free The Balvenie PortWood Aged 21 Years is non chill-filtered and bottled at a higher strength of 47.6% abv.
NOSE: A perfume of fruity and ripe raisin notes, backed by a nutty dryness
TASTE: Refined with remarkable character, it is creamy and silky with fruit, honey and spice notes.
FINISH: Long, gentle, nutty.
What Richard Says: Nose: Granny’s muscadine jelly, honey roasted peanuts, and stewed cherries. Palate: Creamy but not overly viscous. Fruitcake, allspice, and almond shortbread cookies. Finish: Warm smokey wood finish that lingers a bit but doesn’t overstay its welcome. Comments: This is one of my all time favorite whiskeys. Period. Those favorites I always try to keep on hand. Granted, as scotch prices continue to rise that gets harder but I do my best. This is an absolutely terrific dram. I’ve loved it for years and it never disappoints. At nearly two bills it’s hard to tell you that you must buy it but if it is within your means then I can’t recommend it enough. Rating:Must Buy
I would like to thank Kimberly and Sonia over at the Susan Magrino Agency for sending over a sample to review.
