Who would have thought it? The counterculture hero of the sixties and seventies, Bob Dylan, now has a Bourbon that is available to the masses; the times they are changing. From the website, in Bob’s own words, “I wanted to create a collection of American Whiskeys that, in their own way, tell a story. I’ve been traveling for decades, and I’ve been able to try some of the best whiskey spirits that the world has to offer. This is great whiskey.” The label says bottled by Heaven’s Door Spirits but then states that it is distilled in Tennessee. Heaven’s Door Distillery’s website talks about being up for production in late 2024. So, we are not quite sure who made this Bourbon. Another oddity, the bottle we tasted and is pictured, is not even shown or mentioned on their web page. In fact, the only image we could find of the bottle we have was always from a liquor store called Total Wine, and we bought it at a store called Crown Liquor. The closest label we found was also not on Heaven’s Door site, and it was almost exactly the same label but said Tennessee Bourbon on the front label, and as you can see, ours does not. Strange, maybe the answer is blowing in the wind.
Heaven’s Door is widely available where decent Bourbon is sold, is 92 proof, sells for around $50, and comes in an ordinary looking corked bottle that does have an interesting image on the front. As stated, we could not find the exact bottle; the one that looked close was 70% corn and 30% malted barley and was aged 6 years. But we are not sure this is the same juice. There was no age statement or mash bill on the bottle. If you didn’t know, the name comes from the song Knocking on Heaven’s Door. A famous song written and performed by Dylan and many others.
We have had ups and downs with celebrity backed liquors, we won’t go into the ones we have liked and the ones we have not. But as a general rule, we have liked more than we have not. Something else, the other bottles say Tennessee Bourbon, we were always under the impression that to be called Tennessee Bourbon, not only did it have to be made in Tennessee it is also charcoal filtered. Seems we might be wrong about that, or it might be if it is called Tennessee Whiskey, not Bourbon. Mr. Dylan says right on the bottle that this is a great whiskey. We will see.
NOSE
Todd: Lots of stuff going on here with wood, corn, cotton candy, and fruit leading the way. Slighter scents include honey, white cake, white chocolate, cinnamon, and some nuttiness. Ice brought out a bit more of everything.
Matt: A very light unidentified wood smell, along with some corn, almond, apple, and white chocolate. Following that is a light, gentle, sweet aromas of honey and brown sugar.
TASTE
Todd: Not too hot neat with more of the wood and corn that was on the nose. Add to that caramel, leather, and a hint of plum. Ice added a bit of spice.
Matt: A very good balance of flavors. Nothing overshadows the others. Oak, vanilla, honey, leather, and a touch of cinnamon. I could swear I taste rye, so maybe we don’t have the right mash bill. Ice brings out more of the sweetness, especially the vanilla and honey.
FINISH
Todd: Medium long with a touch of spice.
Matt: Medium long with, here it is again, some rye.
OVERALL
Todd: This is a good Bourbon for a very good price.
Matt: Great Bourbon, balanced and easy to drink neat.
Nose 4 out of 5
Taste 8.5 out of 10
Finish 4.25 out of 5
Total score 16.75 out of 20 barrels.
We have to say that we were pleasantly surprised by this whiskey. Our experiences with star-backed or produced liquor have added another winner. While not having major complexity, this Bourbon has enough to make it interesting. The nose is also a winner, as is the finish. The price is at a very respectable point that lets you drink neat, on the rocks, or make your favorite cocktail without feeling like you are wasting money. The only problem we have is with the label and trying to find out what is in this stuff and how long it has been aged.
But if you can find the bottle pictured above of Heaven’s Door Straight Bourbon Whiskey, we recommend you roll like a stone to the store and pick up a bottle. We know, weak.