The 2025 edition of Parker’s Heritage Collection marks the 19th entry for the brand. The release consists of 160 barrels of whiskey that were drawn from multiple barrel houses and blended together after aging. Heaven Hill states that “The blend includes 15-year-old Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon, aged in Rickhouse A; 11-year-old Kentucky Straight Corn Whiskey aged in Rickhouses DD, GG, and BB; and 12-year-old Whiskey aged in Rickhouse Y, made from only two grains - rye and malt.”

‍‍‍‍‍‍Like all releases starting with 2013’s Promise of Hope, Heaven Hill will contribute a portion of the proceeds from each bottle sold to the ALS Association in honor of the late Heaven Hill Master Distiller Parker Beam.

There’s an initial swell of the bourbon's proof as ethanol hits you first and hangs before revealing the scents it holds behind it. Once the curtain is pulled back, kitchen scents greet you in the form of baking spices, cinnamon stick and nutmeg. Oven-baked cinnamon bread then mingles with stewed apples. A light honeydew melon scent adds a warm sweetness to the mix. Further exploration reveals a slight hint of vegetativeness in the form of dewy grass. It’s a nice opening, even if the ethanol note upfront slightly dampens things.

The high rye component roars forward as the palate kicks off in a spicy fashion. Rye spice bursts forward along with aged oak. A subtle corn oil is present along with cinnamon powder, buttered baked bread, and a touch of brown sugar. Spiced caramel pops along with apple pie, evoking thoughts of autumn. A slight wisp of pink bubble gum adds a dollop of sweetness on top. The flavors work incredibly well together and serve as the highlight of the sip.

Rye spice expands, bringing with it bold heat. Along for the ride are drier notes of mixed nuts, aged oak, and leather. Brown sugar and cinnamon appear along with a marble rye bread note. Ending the sip on a high note, faint red berries provide the slightest hint of sweetness before a lingering note of mixed dry nuts and mellow heat caps things off.

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For the most part, the Parker’s Heritage Collection has always been an experimental endeavor for Heaven Hill. While each year’s experimental nature varied on the spectrum, there is no denying that whether it was age, barrel finish, or char level, Heaven Hill uses this variation to color outside the lines a little (or a lot). That is no exception with the 19th edition, thanks to its mashbill mashup.

While the wheated bourbon and corn whiskey use a standard Heaven Hill mashbill, the 12 year American whiskey component uses an experimental mashbill for the company that is exactly half rye and half malted barley. Heaven Hill could have easily made it 51% rye to make it a rye whiskey, but instead, it left it in this no man's land limbo, creating a mashbill that normally isn’t found in the world of whiskey. The result plays well into the overall profile, which is subtle yet unique thanks to its three distinct components.

Blending a wheated bourbon, a corn whiskey, and an experimental whiskey that are all aged over a decade could result in a muddled flavor, but Heaven Hill pulls a rabbit out of their hat with this release. Each predominant grain in a given mashbill: wheat, corn, rye, and malted barley, is noticeable in its own right at various points of the sip. The result is a very unique-tasting whiskey that allows its components to equally share the stage without any specific one trying to upend another, yet pulls them together in a way that makes the whole thing work.

Many will see an 11 year old American whiskey with a $180 price tag and immediately write this off as being an overpriced limited edition release. However, there’s much more than meets the eye with this release, as Parker’s Heritage may carry an 11 year age statement, yet that constitutes the smallest portion of the blend. Moreover, while other brands seem to be in a race to determine who can charge the most for their limited releases, Heaven Hill instead keeps things fairly consistent when it comes to pricing the Parker’s Heritage releases.

While there is no set formula for determining the price of a given release in this collection, prices have ranged from low to mid-$100 to over $200, usually bouncing around year to year based on the specific whiskey in the bottle versus a set corporate formula. Adding in that Heaven Hill continues to donate a portion of every bottle sale to the ALS Association, and the pricing is actually very reasonable given the whiskey in the bottle. Sure $180 won’t be affordable for all, but in comparison to other limited releases that came out in 2025, Heaven Hill should be given credit for keeping this under $200 when it comes to pricing this year’s edition.

The 19th edition of Parker’s Heritage carries with it a deceptively simple name: Kentucky Straight American Whiskey. While at first glance it blends into a sea of whiskeys, it’s the perfect example of never judge a book by its cover. Thanks to its unique blend of mashbills and higher ages, it delivers a well-rounded sip that makes you appreciate each of its individual components as they reveal themselves layer by layer. In comparison to past releases, the 2025 edition won’t knock your socks off, but it certainly won’t disappoint either. Instead, it makes you appreciate the breadth and depth of Heaven Hill’s barrel stock, and the skill it takes to blend a whiskey that will subtly delight those who get to try it.