I first had Paker’s Heritage Orange Curacao Finish at drink.well here in Austin and immediately enjoyed it. It was almost like a cocktail that was heavy on the bourbon and easy on the sugar which is very much to my taste. But by then it was too late to get a bottle from a store so I contented myself to slowly killing the bottle there. Of course COVID happened and this dram slipped my mind but when drink.well reopened my wife and I each had a pour to cap off the evening which reignited my desire to get a bottle. Fortuitously when I was in Kentucky for a barrel pick this April I was able to grab a bottle from the distillery gift shop.
Parker’s Heritage Orange Curacao Finish
Age: 7-8 years plus 4 months of finishing
Proof: 110
Neat
Nose: Strong notes of caramel and citrus with fainter oak. No proof sting.
Taste: Sticky and sweet with more caramel, creamsavers notes with some bitterness both from citrus and oak toward the end. Great mouthfeel and proof integration.
Finish: The orange fades leaving a medium length finish with vanilla, oak and warm spice notes.
Conclusion
This was like a unique, dry but still syrupy high proof citrus peel heavy old fashioned and I love it. I can certainly see why this isn’t for everyone and I do understand that the price seems high for something so cocktail-like but it works for me. This really nails the balance of having clear notes from the finish without overwhelming the bourbon and the orange curaco paired really well with the Heaven Hill notes.
I will definitely be trying to replace this bottle when it’s gone and I hope we see more finished releases from Heaven Hill in the future(not just toasted barrels please…)
TL;DR: The orange curaco finish probably isn’t for everyone but it was for me.
2 Stars - Very good whiskey: I would want to have a bottle