Table Of Contents
The Details
| Rating | 95 2023 Top 50 |
| Style |
Rye American Whiskey Whiskey |
| Produced In |
Kentucky United States |
| ABV | 64.4% |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | $185.00 |
| Reviewed By | |
| Review Updated | 2023-12-19 |
Parker's Heritage 10 Year Cask Strength Rye (2023) Review
In the realm of American rye, the majority of what we see on the shelf still comes from Indiana’s MGP. The producer’s famed 95 percent rye, 5 percent malted barley mash bill accounts for much of the liquid sold by a litany of sourced brands. But in recent years, Kentucky-based producers have started playing catchup, often with lower-rye recipes to produce “Kentucky-style” rye closely aligned with a bourbon drinker’s palate. Perhaps chief (or nearly) among those Kentucky distillers is Heaven Hill.
Today, we’re looking at the distillery’s latest release of Kentucky rye: Parker's Heritage 10 Year Cask Strength Rye, currently the oldest rye release in Heaven Hill’s portfolio.
The company’s Parker’s Heritage Collection is a limited release with a couple key goals. First and foremost, they offer unique, innovative expressions drinkers are unlikely to come across in any other Heaven Hill product. Second — and perhaps even more notably — they honor late Master Distiller Parker Beam, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2010. A portion of each bottle’s sale goes toward ALS research and care; now in its 17th iteration, the releases have raised over $1.2 million toward the cause.
The 2023 Parker’s Heritage 10 Year Rye is produced from a mash bill of 51 percent rye, 35 percent corn and 14 percent malted barley. The release consists of whiskey from 142 barrels aged across five different warehouses.
The previous 16 Parker’s Heritage releases have exhibited Heaven Hill’s immense range: bourbon, rye, wheat, and malt mash bills; single barrels and blends; innovative (and sometimes polarizing) finishes; cask strength and bottled-in-bond expressions. Let’s see how this cask strength rye — bottled at a robust 128.8 proof — stacks up.
Parker's Heritage 10 Year Cask Strength Rye: Stats and Availability
The 2023 Parker’s Heritage 10 Year Cask Strength Rye release comes in a three-bottle pack for retailers with a suggested price of $185. This is a highly allocated, generally coveted release, with both retail and secondary prices often hovering well north of that suggestion.
Since Parker’s Heritage releases vary so significantly, I always recommend a “try before you buy” approach here — or at least a “read before you purchase” mentality.
Parker's Heritage 10 Year Cask Strength Rye Review
As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.
Nose
A pretty massive hit of vanilla extract is the first thing on the nose, followed by decadent sweet notes: fudge, caramel, coconut, and a subtle but intriguing undercurrent of fruit including pear and persimmon. This certainly has my attention!
Upon a return to the glass, the nose from the rye spice really kicks in. This is far less herbal than the “high-rye” ryes many drinkers are used to from the American whiskey scene. (Again, think of MGP's famous 95 percent rye mash bill.) It honestly noses quite like a well-aged bourbon, with fruit and sweetness up front and spice from the rye (one might assume) taking over on the back end of this aroma chain.
More on that spice: It’s cinnamon and nutmeg, and at the tail end of those, pencil rubber. That’s a note I hesitate to use because it can sound off putting, but that’s not the case here; it’s simply a destination on a very complex journey of spicy scents.
Parker’s Heritage 10 Year Rye is a bourbon drinker’s rye right on the nose. Though rye is the predominant grain — at 51 percent it’s the minimum amount allowed for this category — there’s some corn sweetness lingering throughout every sniff.
Taste
Here’s a quote from my shorthand tasting notes: “Oh my, that’s chocolatey.” A warming milk chocolate sensation quickly hits the tongue and spreads to the midpalate. Spice follows and lingers on the side and back of the tongue, as well as the upper palate. It’s not quite peppery, but instead has a light capsaicin quality, as if from a chili pepper.
Combined, that effect evokes Mexican hot chocolate as cocoa, cinnamon, and chili carry through on an oily mouthfeel, which is quite welcome here. That combination almost veers into chocolate pie territory, but the aforementioned rye spice restrains it just a bit. If chocolate pie is a limit, it’s certainly a fun one to bump up against.
On subsequent sips, that sweetness gradually builds, more honey and saltwater taffy than caramel or table sugar. There’s blackcurrant here as well, and it helps cut the thickness on the tongue ever so slightly.
Compared to the nose, we do lose some of that fruit on the palate, and I was hoping to find that touch of pear once again.
Finish
Vanilla makes its return here as the chocolate dissipates. The heat sits deep in the chest with each swallow and provides a firm “Kentucky Hug” all the way down. The finish is long and just a bit hot (this is 128.8 proof, after all), and like the previous two Parker’s Heritage releases — particularly the 132.2 proof Double Barreled Blend — it’s not in the business of pulling punches in any flavor capacity.
Adding a couple drops of water tempers both the viscosity and spice, allowing for more sweetness and those blackcurrant notes to flourish on the tongue. Water really unlocks more fruity flavors, including (finally!) that pear, with additional notes of cherry to pair with the chocolate. My suggestion: Start sipping neat, and keep a dropper close by.
Parker's Heritage 10 Year Cask Strength Rye Rating
95/100
Recap
Parker's Heritage 10 Year Cask Strength Rye is a bold Kentucky rye that showcases the grain’s potential for sweetness in conjunction with spice. And with a well-executed, nicely aged 51 percent rye mash bill, it’s also a bourbon drinker’s rye.
This whiskey swings big and hot, and it’s the sort of Parker’s release that I look forward to revisiting with more time and air in the bottle. It’s a remarkable pour at first crack, and oxidation, in this case, will likely only add to this rye’s appeal. The same has proven to be true of the previous Double Barrel bourbon.
I found an ideal enjoyment for this hitting after a few drops of water, so if you’re willing to do a little at-home proofing, you’ll be rewarded by a Parker’s Heritage release that sits among the best in recent memory.
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