Heaven Hill Unveils Malt Whiskey Finished in Cognac Casks for Latest Parker’s Heritage Release
Heaven Hill, the parent company behind brands like Elijah Craig and Larceny, unveiled the 18th release of its Parker’s Heritage Collection on Tuesday. The limited-release whiskey is a Kentucky malt whiskey that was finished in heavy toast cognac barrels that were reconstructed.
Proceeds from the sales of Parker’s Heritage Collection releases are donated to support research and care for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, otherwise known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
For this year’s release, Heaven Hill collaborated with Master Blender Alain Royer, a member of a sixth-generation cognac family who was responsible for creating Lafite Rothschild’s Cognac and Armagnac brands, according to Distilling.
“We are excited to continue to work with Alain Royer as we look for more ways to innovate with barrel finished products,” Vice President of American Whiskey at Heaven Hill Susan Wahl said in a statement. “In honoring Parker’s enduring legacy, Heaven Hill remains steadfast in our commitment to uphold the high standards he set. With this latest expression, we celebrate Parker’s influence on dedication and innovating outside of Heaven Hill’s traditional Bourbon mashbills by crafting a whiskey that embodies his spirit as we continue to support ALS research and patient care.”
Heaven Hill shared that this release is allocated, and will be available in limited qualities. It hosts a suggested retail price of $169.99. The collection was released in honor of Heaven Hill’s Master Distiller Parker Beam, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2010. Heaven Hill shared that since 2013, proceeds from the sales of the releases have generated over $1.3 million in revenue for ALS research.
128 malt whiskey barrels with distillate dating back to 2009 were emptied and finished in reconstructed cognac barrels for almost four months. The malt whiskey barrels rested on the sixth floor of Rickhouse Q and after they were re-barreled, they spent the remainder of their time in Rickhouse H1 on the fifth floor. The whiskey was bottled at 107 proof and was distilled from a mashbill of 65% malted barley and 35% corn.
Heaven Hill claims the 2024 release of Parker’s Heritage Collection possesses flavors of molasses, chocolate and spices like cloves and nutmeg.
In August 2023, the brand released its annual Parker’s Heritage Collection whiskey which was a rye that featured a 10-year age statement and was bottled at a cask strength of 128.8 proof. Wahl expressed that for the series, “keeping Parker’s legacy alive” was of utmost importance and that the release “would have made him proud.”
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