Parker's Heritage 10 Year Heavy Char Bourbon

Smell: Neat: very sweet, mouthwatering caramel, vanilla, molasses. Faint oak. Faint cherry and nuttiness With water: significantly more nuttiness with water Body: Neat: full, bold With water: medium to full, loses a little bit of its bite Taste: Neat: packed full of flavor, caramel, vanilla, spicy With water: I found this to be very peanuty, like peanuts dipped in caramel. Truly extremely good. The very last sip I got a hint of cherry. Aftertaste: Neat: very long and smoky sweet. With water: still long maybe not quite as long. Note: 1 ounce from a friend. Oh my god that is good. The first sip was like a firework of flavor, classic bourbon flavors caramel, vanilla but vibrant dancing on your tongue and bringing some heat. I love the aftertaste. A long smoky caramel is how all bourbon should be. I’d like a bottle of this. Yum! A taste from a friend. This time around the heat hit me first along with caramel and vanilla standard fare but there was some sweetness hidden in the heat. A friend felt the heavy char was not kind to this dram but I think, while not as good as last years version, this is still very flavorful. I got smoky caramel on the second sip. I’m drinking it neat and don’t get any of the nuttiness I got before. Smells like smoky caramel and vanilla. I like it. Not as much as the rye but this is good

Aromas erupt from the glass, very strong vapors with minimal ethanol. Oak forms the foundation for all the activity in this nose. It's dominant but allows other flavors to emerge. Tobacco, dark chocolate, black cherry, cinnamon, and star anise, along with the scent of a musty old bookstore and shoe polish, complement the intense oak presence effectively. However, this bourbon is anything but subtle. The heavy char is very noticeable and imposing. It reminds me of bottles with significantly more age, such as those in the Rhetoric series. Incredibly rich, sweeter than anticipated from the start with vanilla, sweet tobacco, and some root beer-like and cola-like spices in the background. The drying oak is not overwhelming but provides a pleasant contrast to the initial sweeter flavor profile. The finish is dry, featuring toasty oak and cinnamon hard candies. It's warming and remarkably smooth. Surprisingly little burn on the way down. Delicious. These releases consistently deliver. This is simply delightful for those who appreciate oak. Once you move past the intense char, there's a surprising amount of sweet flavors present that create an excellent balance. A beautiful spirit.

Neat. Poured from the neck. The color is surprisingly deep, possibly the darkest bourbon I've seen, rivaling an Orphan Barrel selection. The aroma is wonderful, very rich and substantial. It's as if the fragrance forms a dense mist. It possesses a weightiness. Oak is present, but the char manifests as burnt caramel. I detect a subtle banana note, which is unusual for a Heaven Hill for me. Hints of cherry cheesecake with a graham cracker base, also with honey-drizzled graham crackers. Abundant rich vanilla ice cream notes too. This is packed with deliciousness. The texture is incredibly smooth and fantastic. Truly excellent stuff. It begins with cinnamon and brown sugar, then a touch of cherry. This evolves into charred caramel at mid-palate, and the cherry cheesecake with graham cracker crust reappears on the lingering finish. The legs are impressively persistent. The flavors from mid-palate through the finish are so rich, deep, and potent. This brings me immense joy. Yes, this will be included in my top bourbons of the year blind tasting. It's amazing. No further commentary needed.

Aroma: abundant oak and smoke, very buttery. Heavy dark fruit also present. Remarkable how dark the color is. Taste: wow...this is exceptional. Initially, only wood is perceived for a brief moment, with no fruit. It then instantly explodes with unexpected sweetness. Abundant dark fruit emerges on the back palate. The transformation of the bourbon during the palate experience is unlike anything I've encountered before. Finish: the wood returns but harmonizes effectively with the cherries. The wood/oak presence persists indefinitely. General Impression: The $150 price is high. However, this bourbon is outstanding. For an annual, limited offering, I genuinely appreciate this bottle. This is my first experience with Parker's Heritage, and I am fortunate to have acquired it. Additionally, at 120 proof, this bottle drinks much smoother than its stated alcohol content suggests.

This marks my initial encounter with a Parker product, and a friend is sharing a sample of two, with this one being my preferred choice. The prominent char truly highlights the barrel characteristics without excessive oakiness. This spirit could be hazardous if not approached with respect. The alcohol is virtually undetectable on the nose or palate. When I smoke meats, I utilize scraps of white oak flooring. The fragrance of that smoke blended with the ethereal spirit from the aging warehouse is the aroma I perceive. The caramel-vanilla is rich, and the smokiness is perfectly balanced. There are also notes of cherries jubilee present. The nose on this is flawless. So, I suppose it's time to taste it. Burnt brown sugar leads, reminiscent of the topping on creme brulee. There's a nutty quality and some dark cherries. All of this leads to a sweet oak finish.

The initial aroma is exactly like a Mounds bar. Dark chocolate and coconut. This evolves into coffee later on. Dark brown sugar is consistently present. I must say, I'm starting to be able to identify the Heaven Hill flavor profile. Later, a meaty note appears in the aroma. Flavor before water consists of chocolate, caramel, and freshly ground black pepper. Dark sugar. Adding drops of water causes this to explode in both flavor and herbaceousness. More spice and definitely a lot of mint become apparent. Coffee is just beneath the surface. It becomes a touch creamier as it opens. Almost perfect, but the finish lacks depth. It doesn't endure and fades a bit too quickly. Still a fantastic Bourbon. But so close to perfection.