Parker's Heritage Orange Curaçao Barrel Finished

This tastes like a bottled cocktail. It essentially is a bottled cocktail. If you were to approach this expecting an old fashioned made with a silky, balanced, standout bourbon and heavy dashes of orange bitters, I think you’d be pretty pleased. At 110 proof, sipped neat at room temperature, it drinks like a diluted cocktail, which is pretty bonkers and a clear sign of quality distillate and skillful aging. The orange is heavy-handed, but I certainly don’t hate the final experience. It is prominent and trends toward candied orange or a rock & rye, but again: think cocktail. I remember a generally tepid response when this came out. If there was a problem with this release, it was conceptual: while the rabid American whiskey fanbase has come to understand they’ll get something unique from the Parker’s line, they still crave the idea of an exemplary, unadulterated, and authentic whiskey experience. This is an experimental take that is actually pretty nice (to my tastes) but stepped over an informal line for such a highly-anticipated limited release. I can understand why this had a lukewarm reception with many who felt cheated when they finally luck into the rare opportunity to get their hands on a flagship name brand allocated release, only to find that it’s such a departure from their expectations and much harder to brag about to their bourbon buddies (regardless of whether rare bottles are actually a “better” product or not). I enjoy this and it’s likely even worth MSRP (~$90), but don’t begrudge those that feel differently. I think this would have been best as a one-off limited release at $60-$70, but Heaven Hill is certainly doing just fine without my unsolicited advice and it’s possible that consensus has gradually shifted over the past couple years to accept this one as an adventurous but worthy endeavor.

It smells minty, orangey, and a tad spicy with a hint of wood, but it smells surprisingly mild. The palate is super orange with spice and a huge peppermint backing that sneaks in a bit of Wintergreen. There's some sugar and it tastes a bit like candy or orange tic tacs with the mix of flavors. It does not taste very old and isn't terribly punchy, but it isn't weak either. It's an interesting experience, but I'm not sure it is otherwise of high quality. The Wintergreen really comes through here and I'm not a fan of that. Orange tic tacs made of orange, peppermint, and spice could have been good, but wintergreen really throws a wrench in the works. There's a little bit of herbal presence in the background, but it's very minimal. With some water, the Wintergreen and herbal notes come out see more, bit so does some orange toffee. The orange flavor becomesore pronounced and interesting, but it leaves me feeling like I should have just mixed bourbon with Curacao. What's the point of this? The balance is good, but it isn't really what I want from a whiskey and it has too much wintergreen. There's some cereal that brings in some mineral notes and sweetness. Really, the complexity turns out to be quite good and the balance works mostly too and the flavors are kind of interesting, but it isn't robust enough for my taste and it mostly reminds me of the beginnings of a cocktail. It would be a great cocktail, but I'm not a huge fan of it as a bourbon. This bourbon is in no way worth the price.

Belated review but in short this is brilliant. This bottle belonged to a friend and was half empty and well over a year old. I didn’t get the mint notes that others have mentioned and wonder if 1) these fade with time or 2) this was toward the end of a decent night of sampling. The nose is balanced with vanilla and orange zest. I can’t peg any baking spice but the zest had a mild character of its own. There’s little to no ethanol. A bit of the wood comes through after swirling for a minute. When it hits the tongue it’s impressively smooth. Initial flavors are classic vanilla with mild nutmeg, oak and floral notes. Then the magic happens. As it makes its way down the pipe the oily nature comes out and brings with it milk chocolate and orange zest again. It’s like a boomerang between a classic 8-9y bourbon and a chocolate orange from childhood. Maybe it’s because I’m on a kick with cask finished bourbons, maybe it’s the orange mingling with a hot summer night. This is different, no doubt, but expectations were pleasantly met this evening.

I remember years ago when I was starting my spirit drinking journey with rum and there was one true abomination..pyrat xo rum which had orange flavor added..man that was disgusting. After that other than an actual orange in whole or juice form nothing orange has crossed my lips. Now i didn't realise what curacao was until I took a sniff of this one and thought hmm smells like mint and something else, took a sip and then spat it out as heavily ethanoled orangeness assaulted my palate. After a heavy dosing of water...argh no it really isn't doing it for me. If you like high abv base ethanol mixed with peppermint and orange liqueur you'll love this. Eventually swirling around the mouth wasn't too bad even enjoyable to a degree but then having to swallow and that aftertaste... i'm with @dubz480 on this one a very charitable 3.

I really do enjoy this. Once you've sipped it for a while you don't really notice the orange as much and you do initially. The bourbon used in this finish is an absolute quality bourbon. It seems most people finish things that they are trying to cover the taste of. If the orange curacao wasn't such a love it or hate it kinda thing the bourbon inside would be award winning. Not for everyone. I love orange so although it's certainly present on the palate and nose , nose especially, it doesn't overwhelm. Perfect for pairing with a vanilla based desert. Creme Brule or frozen custard. This isn't your drink 3 pours of bourbon its place is with friends after dinner in small quantities

Nose hits up front with oranges and a touch of ethanol. Adding a little water brings in some vanilla notes for a nice orange creamsicle and an accent of caramel. The first sip hits up front with a dry, butter citrus that seamlessly blends into the more familiar notes of oak, baking spices, and a subtle sweetness that opens up into creamy vanilla with a little water. The orange Carrie’s through the entire experience, but never overpowers the core of the spirit. The finish is long and lingering, but there is a harshness that brings down the enjoyment a step. This is one that greatly benefits from controlled dilution