Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 17 Year Bourbon Review (2023)
Last Updated on August 22, 2023 by Lydia Martin
For avid bourbon fan collectors, limited series bottles are a gem.
Good news, Heaven Hill has kicked off its limited annual release, rumored to outshine ‘Pappy Van Winkle’ bottles.
We’re talking about the first edition of Heritage Collection barrel-proof Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, showcasing Heaven Hill’s ultra-aging techniques.
Here’s our first-hand Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 17 Year bourbon review, including its tasting profile, what’s special about this bottle, and if it is worth the price.
Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 17-Year Bourbon Overview
Heaven Hill is known for its quality traditional and wheated whiskey. [1] But its new collection features one of the conventional American whiskey mash bills.
This limited edition collection debuted in the Spring of 2022 with a slightly higher price tag, and the brand’s master craftspeople have kept watchful eyes on these limited edition special barrels.
But luckily, we got our hands on the first release of the Heaven Hill Heritage Collection.
Its 17-year-old bourbon is not heavy on the palate and is pleasantly sippable.
Quick Facts
| Distillery | Heaven Hill Distillery |
| Classification & Region | Bourbon, Kentucky, USA |
| Alcohol Proof | 118.2-proof (59.1% ABV) |
| Mash Bill | 78% Corn, 12% Malted Barley, 10% Rye |
| Age Statement | 17 years |
| Color | Deep Amber |
| Rating | 4 Stars |
| Average Price | $274.99/750ml (MSRP) |
How Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 17-Year Bourbon Tastes
Nose
The aroma starts to release a rich oak with sweetness from the chocolate, green apple, and a hint of juicy fruit gum flavor.
It has a dense, thick aroma but is manageable on the nose.
Swirling the dram brings out classic bourbon flavors of vanilla and caramel with raisins, dark cherry, wood oak spice, and strong hints of dark chocolate.
Palate
Lovely cinnamon spice, oak with darkly toasted bread, and subtle tobacco hints come with our first sip, followed by rich vanilla and caramel hints.
At 118.2-proof, we experience an array of sweet flavors with the balance of warming heat that coats the palate.
The taste is far from overly oaked bourbon with tannic notes.
It has a creamy mouthfeel, and the taste is not heavy as its aroma. But the oak notes remarkably rise on the back end of the palate.
Finish
The finish is long, not drying, and delicious. We enjoyed its warm heat of baking spice finish with sweet notes of caramel.
What’s Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 17-Year Bourbon?
Heaven Hill Heritage Collection’s first edition was released nationally last March 2022. It is a sibling series of the Parker’s Heritage Collection released every fall.
Parker’s Heritage Collection is not considered the first edition of Heritage Collection but more of an ‘experimental counterpart’ of the Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 17-year-old release.
“The Heaven Hill Heritage Collection reflects the true craftsmanship, patience and consistency…”
– Conor O’ Driscoll, Master Distiller
This collection uses the same mash bill of Elijah Craig. Still, it highlights some of Heaven Hill distillery’s oldest inventory of their quietly aging whiskey resting across its six rickhouse sites.
It contains a blend of varying aging whiskey with up to 20-year-old barrels.
The deep amber hue and pleasing aromas define the aged whiskey’s longevity and the quality of its maturation.
Why We Like It
- Heritage Collection shares a blend of whiskeys, making it more flavorsome. It has the exact breakdown blend of 28% 20-year-old barrels, 44% 19-year-old barrels, and 28% 17-year-old barrels.
- Ultra-aged. Surprisingly Heritage Collection 17-year-old whiskey has supple sweetness and doesn’t have tannic notes [2], making our drinking experience remarkable.
- It is bottled at high-proof. At almost 120-proof, this Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey delivers complex flavor yet a much smoother spirit that is more enjoyable to sip.
- It doesn’t require any mixer. The dram is a great sipper; we enjoy it neatly without water or ice for dilution.
Drawbacks
- Its bottle is expensive. Heritage Collection 17-year-old barrel-proof whiskey is priced at the suggested retail price of around $274.99 and is not budget-friendly. On the secondary market, the average price might go up ten times its actual release price.
- Heritage Collection 17-year-old barrel-proof first edition has limited releases. The limited stock supply makes it harder to find and get a bottle.
Is Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 17-Yr Premium & Limited Edition?
Heaven Hill Heritage Collection is a limited edition of 17-year-old barrel-proof bourbon whiskey.
The limited bottles series were released last spring of March 2022.
But is it a premium whiskey? Yes. Heaven Hill Heritage Collection is a premium whiskey with blends of exquisite whiskeys within its Heaven Hill Distillery portfolio, aged for many years.
We enjoyed every drop of this premium whiskey, which is what a quintessential well-aged whiskey should taste like.
Price & Value
Heaven Hill Heritage Collection has released its first edition priced at around $274.99 per 750ml.
For a well-aged whiskey aged 17 years, it is a fair price to start.
But since it is a limited edition, its bottles are hard to find, making its market value go up to around $2,000 or more, that’s more than ten times its suggested retail price.
Rating On Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 17 Year Bourbon
For the first series of Heritage Collection, we’ll give it a ‘4-STARS’ rating. It’s a great sipper and can stand out neatly.
It has a complex and warm aroma, yet it doesn’t overpower the overall aroma. The dram has vibrant and mouth-coating, not too smoky but velvety.
We enjoy savoring its balanced flavor profile along with its classic bourbon flavors.
Should You Buy It?
Yes, this dram is worth every penny, but it won’t be our ‘everyday bourbon’ choice.
This expensive bottle is for special celebrations like birthdays, weddings, or family gatherings.
In case you can’t find bottles of Heritage Collection or you’re looking for affordable ones, here are some bottle alternatives you can try:
- Elijah Craig Small Batch
- Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond
- Knob Creek 12-year
FAQs
Is Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 17 Year bourbon worth the money?
Yes, Heaven Hill Heritage Collection’s 17-year whiskey is worth the money. Even though it is expensive, it is a quality whiskey aged over many years, bottled with high proof.
Is Heaven Hill bourbon allocated?
According to the Heaven Hill press release, Heritage Collection 17-year-old barrel-proof bourbon release is on a ‘limited basis.’ But its Parker’s Heritage Collection is allocated.
Final Say
Many new whiskey brands are constantly coming to market, but this first edition of Heaven Hill Heritage Collection’s 17-year-old barrel-proof bourbon release is worth the try.
We appreciate its supple-tasting profile that is not ‘oaky’ for its age.
Its smooth and creamy mouthfeel and high proof make it one of the benchmarks for well-aged bourbons.
Get your hands on this first edition release bottle while you still have it around its suggested retail price.
References:
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradjaphe/2018/05/18/is-wheated-whiskey-the-next-big-thing-in-bourbon/
- https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tannic
