Parker's Heritage Collection 2013 (PHC 7) - "Promise of Hope"

[MauiSon]

But you wish you did, as do I.

[GaryT]

I think this one also falls into the "try before I buy" category. I know a portion goes to a good cause, but if I have $90 - I'd rather pick up a couple other bottles and donate $20 to the cause Until I try it and fall in love with it

[VAGentleman]

I think this one also falls into the "try before I buy" category. I know a portion goes to a good cause, but if I have $90 - I'd rather pick up a couple other bottles and donate $20 to the cause Until I try it and fall in love with it

I agree 100% $90 for a 10 year old 96 proof bourbon seems pretty outrageous. Maybe its stellar but definitely need to try it first before laying out that kind of money.

[P&MLiquorsEric]

Not landing in KY this week. maybe next.

[Swan]

They're being purchased in NC of all places. I understand your position, but as long as every bottle is sold at retail (which they ultimately will be) then that's all the money HH was ever going to donate anyway. Don't let the stress get to you too much.

[Yeti]

The last cases of NC's allotment shipped out of the state warehouse today, but I have not seen any in my neck of the woods.

STOP LOOKING AT ME SWAN!

Okay, now that I got that out of my system. The more I think about this, I think I'll definitely wait to try before I buy. It's going to have to be a serious wow bottle. Like someone said (and did), yes it's for a great cause, but you can just direct your $20 straight to the foundation and spend the other $70 on plenty of great whiskey.

[bontrager]

Just got a bottle yesterday but haven't opened it yet.

[jfw]

Saw someone post three of these on Facebook. Anybody seen them in the wild?

[z327]

Picked up my first one in Dallas yesterday.

[z327]

Picked up one in Dallas yesterday

[jfw]

It's hit Monty County MD. Hasn't hit the rest of the state but is supposed to this week. It's a solid pour but nothing super special. Certainly not in the clas of the first couple of PHC releases. I've bunkered a couple because it's for a good cause.

The reailers I have talked to seem to think they are getting al LOT more than the retailer in KY received. Good luck!

Joe

[Trey Manthey]

I decided to put down for this and cracked the bottle last night. I have to say that this is the smoothest sipping whiskey I have ever tried. I'll be posting some more detailed notes tonight, but I wanted to throw that superlative out there while it was on my mind.

Of course we have the single barrel variation to consider, which brings me to my next point: Why no barrel numbers on the labels? I assume these are all proofed down to 96, so we don't even have the ABV to distinguish between the barrels.

[cowdery]

It's probably the height of crassness to complain about anything regarding this bottling, considering the cause and Parker's condition, but here goes.

I'm not surprised people say it reminds them of EWSBV vintage. It's single barrel, rye recipe, ten years old, and from Parker's favorite locations. That's virtually the EWSBV profile. So it's $90, subtract the $20 they're donating to ALS, and it's still more than twice what you will pay for EWSBV. It seems like, in spite of the cause and all, they just didn't try very hard. On the heels of the superb 2012 PHC, it seems like they're just letting the cause carry this one. Maybe the whole series is running out of steam.

Though, in fairness, many competitors are selling less for more.

Gripe number two is the following sentence from the press release. "From among Heaven Hill's nearly one million barrels in storage, Parker selected approximately 100 barrels of ten-year-old rye-based Bourbon from one of his favorite warehouses, the tiered 80-year-old Rickhouse EE in Deatsville, where they sat in high storage for 40 seasons."

Huh? WTF? "40 seasons"? You've already said it's ten years old in the same sentence. Are you trying to make my head explode? Why not hit it out of the park. 3,652 days (I'm assuming two leap years)! 87,648 hours! We can play this all day.

I know that whoever writes their press releases probably writes about 100 of them a day and they all say practically the same thing, and probably aren't reviewed very carefully, but that's just beyond the pale.

Edited September 17, 2013 by cowdery

[MyOldKyDram]

Here, here!

I mean I like the story. I like the cause. But you said it perfectly IMO when you said it seems they just weren't trying w this one. And I'm probably passing on it for that reason. Not like I need feel too bad. They will sell and sell fast, so good for the cause.

[tigerlam92]

Huh? WTF? "40 seasons"? You've already said it's ten years old in the same sentence. Are you trying to make my head explode? Why not hit it out of the park. 3,652 days (I'm assuming two leap years)! 87,648 hours! We can play this all day.

In CA, that is 40 years, I'm confused.

I decided to put down for this and cracked the bottle last night. I have to say that this is the smoothest sipping whiskey I have ever tried.

In support of the cause, my contact is getting two for me already. So I'm glad to hear it is smooth.

Edited September 17, 2013 by tigerlam92

[sutton]

Huh? WTF? "40 seasons"? You've already said it's ten years old in the same sentence. Are you trying to make my head explode? Why not hit it out of the park. 3,652 days (I'm assuming two leap years)! 87,648 hours! We can play this all day.

I know someone who writes these things should know someone reading this would logically conclude they are talking about a distilling season, but it appears they are counting four seasons per year ... Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall ... as silly as that may seem.

[petrel800]

I hate to sound like I'm piling on, but my fear was this was going to turn out to be EWSB for a cause. I bit my tongue a couple times in responding, but my fears are coming true from the initial reports. I might just send a donation to the cause on this one.

[Paddy]

My contribution was to continue purchasing EWSB. Picked up another one today...good stuff at a good price!

[Dolph Lundgren]

In CA, that is 40 years, I'm confused.

Nice, Hugh.

I'll be doing the same, getting my obligatory two bottles - one for the belly and one for the bunker. If its as good as 2012, I'll try to get a couple more. But, great cause aside, seems like HH is focusing more on Lore than the liquid.

[AaronWF]

EWSB vintages can vary greatly by barrel. I adore one of the '03 barrels I found - especially for the price - while another one I tasted was very ho hum. So the idea of all the bottles coming from hand-picked honey barrels is attractive to me if it's more consistent than the EWSB releases have proven to be. I paid $28 for the '03 EWSB that was divine, and I'd say $40 would be fair, though pushing it. Bumping up the proof a bit for the PHC puts it into $50-$55 range for fair market value as far as I'm concerned, so still $15-$20 off from retail minus the $20 donation.

But HH have been pretty brazen in pushing up their prices on their top shelf products. I think I heard they have EC22 in the gift shop for $350?? I'm not sure I can pony up the $90 for a bottle of this.

[suntour]

As long as they keep the $15 BIBs, they can price the top-end stuff however they see fit. Especially right now, why price things too low to the market and just have the product flipped at retail?

Aaron, did your superlative EWSB come from one of those "more than 10 year aged" batches?

[bontrager]

Cracked open a bottle of PHC Promise of Hope the other day. Disclaimer: I never make a concrete impression on the first few pours of a bottle.

That said, my initial reaction was slightly underwhelming for PHC standards. Surprisingly HOT alcohol burn for 96 proof. Nose wasn't overpowering; a moderate amount of cinnamon and spice. First sip was a huge mouthful of spice, cinnamon, and cloves which was nice, but fairly dry and somewhat unbalanced overall. Very long, but dry finish, with an odd unpleasant medicinal aftertaste.

Hopefully with some additional airtime I will grow more fond of it, but overall it left me a bit underwhelmed.

[AaronWF]

Aaron, did your superlative EWSB come from one of those "more than 10 year aged" batches?

Hmm, I don't think so. It was barrel #2. I wish I had gotten more.

[wine65]

Sampled several times. Nice but not great overpriced by $25-30 IMHO. That's taking the $20 donation into account.

[Dolph Lundgren]

Got two bottles and opened one last night. My initial notes: vanilla, spice (clove, cinnamon, etc.), corn and strong HH mint on the front, which hangs out for a little bit. Its very EW Black. The mint and spice taper off into a sweeter finish.

My thoughts: this is a $30-40 mediocre bourbon that is ridiculously over-priced.

This bottle really highlights the problem consumers experience with the premium market today. If you want a bottle, you have to buy it before trying and assume the risk of it not being very good. If you decide to wait and try it at a bar/restaurant, every bottle has likely been picked off of the shelves, and if its good, you have to look somewhere else to obtain one...and pay a premium over the already premium price.

I know its allocated at most places in my city.

In the next few weeks, some of you guys may enjoy the new Parker's, and there is a chance the bottle may open up with some more airtime. But right now, I feel like HH played consumers and exploited the current market to put out a marginally decent product at a super premium retail price. Just when you thought they were going in the other direction with ECBP, they release this...Kudos to them for pulling one over on me.

If you're willing to spend $90 on a bottle, you're probably better off ponying up $40 more bucks and grabbing the EC21. Better yet, spend $15 and get some EW BIB.

Edited September 19, 2013 by Dolph Lundgren