William Heaven Hill 225month old and Parker's 27 yo

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William Heaven Hill 225month old and Parker's 27 yo

Unread postby bourbonv » Tue Nov 18, 2008 3:37 pm

This morning I went to the Heaven Hill facilities in Bardstown to watch them barrel their 5,500,000th barrel of whiskey. It was a good event and I enjoyed their ceremony. After the ceremnoy, I was invited back to the Heritage Center by Lynn Grant in order to try the William Heavenhill 225 months (18 years 9 months) old product they are selling only in the Heritage Center at a cost of $500.00 a bottle. I found this to be a very good product. It is barrel proof at, if I am remembering correctly 127.6 proof. It has some very nice fruit notes at first but with a few drops of water to bring it down to a drinkable proof, it opens up into fruit (cherries or other dark fruit) with sweet spices (cloves and cinnamon) with caramel and chocolate coming out as it breaths. The taste was slightly fruity but with big caramel sweetness leading into a dry oak finish. I enjoyed it quite a bit and if I ever win the lottery, I would purchase a bottle.

Then she let me try the new Parker's Heritage Collection 27 years old and bottled at 90 some odd proof. I was expecting not to like this because of the extreme age. I thought it would be nothing but wood. The nose betrayed this conception because there were other aromas such as caramel, a bit of ripe apricot and leather as well as oak. Tasting it was also the same - sweet caramel and a bit of spice with oak wood that was still stronger than I like, but not astringent and unpleasant. A little water brought out a little more caramel and maybe a hint of chocolate but still strong in wood. I don't think I will be tempted to purchase a bottle, but I am glad for the chance to try it.
Mike Veach
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Re: William Heaven Hill 225month old and Parker's 27 yo

Unread postby bunghole » Tue Nov 18, 2008 7:32 pm

Sounds interesting, Mike. $500 per 750ml bottle doesn't really qualify for a 'low bucks sipper', but that's a different thread. More power to anyone that can easily afford such a treat just as long as it was honestly earned.

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Re: William Heaven Hill 225month old and Parker's 27 yo

Unread postby bourbonv » Wed Nov 19, 2008 2:42 pm

Linn,
You are correct - these are not "bargain bourbon's" by any stretch of the imagination. They are good bourbons and Heaven Hill is selling both at the price they have put on them. All I can say is more power to them - let them make some big bucks on these brands to keep them selling 10yo Bonded Heaven Hill at its current price of about $15.00 a 750. I can enjoy that bourbon without breaking the bank and I have to think that I can also enjoy the $485.00 difference in price. Still, I did enjoy my taste of these products and I might consider purchasing a drink in a bar if it was not priced too high...

I did hear an interesting theory from Lynn as to why I don't like Elijah Craig. It seems that she has been polling people at the center who get that sour finish and they smoke. I was wondering if the people here who get that same sour finish out of Craig 12 and 18 years old also smoke. I think I will have to go a weekend without smoking sometime and pour some Elijah Craig to see if the theory holds up. If smoking is the case, then the sour, rotten peach finish I get should be reduced or eliminated.
Mike Veach
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Re: William Heaven Hill 225month old and Parker's 27 yo

Unread postby sailor22 » Thu Dec 04, 2008 4:00 pm

I get the sour taste you describe - most particularly on the EC 18. I don't smoke.
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Re: William Heaven Hill 225month old and Parker's 27 yo

Unread postby gillmang » Thu Dec 04, 2008 5:33 pm

I find most bourbon and rye have a sourish finish to a greater or lesser degree. I haven't noticed this as an obtrusive quality in EC 12 or EC 18. I think it comes from the rye and perhaps yeast characteristics. It isn't new or unique again to Heaven Hill, and this is why the Sour (a misleading term) and the Old-Fashioned and Manhattan were devised. They "correct" that sour edge. I find Heaven Hill's bourbons to be very traditional in taste and representing one side of a "country" palate. Recently I was drinking from a 1970's HH bottle, a 86 proofer with no age statement but seemingly 7-10 years old. It reminded me of EC 12 a fair bit. The 1970's iteration was heavier and somewhat oilier but quite similiar in style. It remains to be seen whether Bernheim No. 1 production, which presumably will come onstream soon for EC 12 or already has, will retain that heavy 1970's quality.

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Re: William Heaven Hill 225month old and Parker's 27 yo

Unread postby Mike » Thu Dec 04, 2008 6:03 pm

sailor22 wrote:I get the sour taste you describe - most particularly on the EC 18. I don't smoke.


Put me in the non-smoking sour column too...........again, especially for the EC 18, I will not spend money for that particular bourbon.

The EC 12 is variable in my experience and at times has been excellent............it is a change in me or in the bourbon?........I know not!
Do not go gentle into that good night,
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Rage, rage against the dying of the light. - Dylan Thomas
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Re: William Heaven Hill 225month old and Parker's 27 yo

Unread postby sailor22 » Wed Dec 17, 2008 11:36 pm

After I revisited the EC 18 - the bottle had been open a few weeks and I let the pour sit for a hour before tasting I was surprised to find the bitter in the late part of the finish had vanished. So no more sour taste - seems to be related to "air time". :?:
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Re: William Heaven Hill 225month old and Parker's 27 yo

Unread postby bourbonv » Mon Dec 22, 2008 12:13 pm

I will have to try letting Elijah Craig breath for an hour before I taste it. I sure don't like it straight out of the bottle because of that sour finish.
Mike Veach
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Re: William Heaven Hill 225month old and Parker's 27 yo

Unread postby bunghole » Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:34 pm

BLURG!
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