Heaven Hill Distillery has announced the 2021 release in the Parker’s Heritage Collection, 11-Year-Old Heavy Char Wheat Whiskey.
The new release continues the Heavy Char trio that began with Heavy Char Rye in 2019, followed by last year’s Heavy Char Bourbon. Heavy Char Wheat Whiskey will be the 15th edition overall in the Parker’s Heritage Collection.
“This edition continues the award-winning series of heavy char releases, exploring how a more intense char allows the liquid to penetrate deeper into each barrel stave and the effects on the resulting flavor,” says a press release from the brand. “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. The heavy char allowed Heaven Hill’s traditional Wheat Whiskey mashbill of 51% wheat, 37% corn, and 12% malted barley to interact more with the oak, extracting a mix of sweetness, filled with hints of molasses and butterscotch. This release is only the second time the Wheat Whiskey mashbill has been featured in the Parker’s Heritage Collection, with the first released in 2014 as an Original Batch Cask Strength.”
The annual Parker’s Heritage releases are named for late Master Distiller Parker Beam, who passed away in 2017 after being diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, in 2010. Portions from the sale of each of his namesake bottles are donated to fund ALS research, raising over one million dollars in the last eight years.
“The Parker’s Heritage Collection is a testament to the distilling legacy at Heaven Hill Distillery and the detailed attention each step of the process receives,” said Susan Wahl, Vice President, American Whiskies at Heaven Hill. “We are excited to release the third mashbill in this heavy char series, showcasing the consistency of quality throughout our innovation pipeline. It is in tribute to Parker and his legacy that we continue to support ALS research and patient care with this collection.”
Bottles will begin arriving on an allocated basis in September for a suggested retail price of around $140.
