I’d love to start this out by quoting the song that this whiskey is named after, but I’m of an age that I identified Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door as a Guns N Roses song instead of as a Bob Dylan song for most of my young life. I may never get that association out of my head and out of respect for other people my age who have had Axl Rose’s voice inflicted upon them, I’m not going to mention this again.
Heaven’s Door Whiskey is a brand created in collaboration with Bob Dylan, musician, native of my adopted home state of Minnesota, and (as I learned while researching the brand) Iron Gate Artist. The brand website is filled with images of Mr. Dylan creating his gates. In fact, the artwork on the front of each bottle is a representation of some of those gates.
I had no idea. I thought that was pretty cool.
These bottles came out of a multipack that I found on an end cap in my local Total Wine. I originally thought it was a gift set and I had slotted it in as part of last week’s rundown. But that post got a little too long to tack three reviews onto the end of it. And honestly, I don’t know if it was a holiday gift set or just a way for folks to try their core whiskeys.
So, here are the three core releases from Heaven’s Door. A Tennessee Bourbon, a Straight Rye finished in French Oak, and Double Barrel Whiskey (a blend of three six-year-old whiskeys that was aged in a second barrel for an additional year). Let’s see how they taste.
Heaven's Door Tennessee Bourbon
Purchase Info: $56.99 for three 200 mL bottles at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN. This whiskey at the same store is $46.99 for a 750 mL bottle.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.13 (for the 750 mL)
Details: 45% ABV
Nose: Cherry, vanilla, cola.
Mouth: Sweet. Cinnamon, vanilla, cherry cola, and oak.
Finish: Medium length and warmth. Lingering notes of cherry and oak.
Thoughts: The nose on this is delicate but delicious. I'm loving the vanilla, cherry cola notes on the whiskey. I usually turn my nose up at "celebrity" whiskey brands, but this is good. I'd buy it again.
Heaven's Door Double Barrel Whiskey
Purchase Info: $56.99 for three 200 mL bottles at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN. This whiskey at the same store is $46.99 for a 750 mL bottle.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.13 (for the 750 mL)
Details: 50% ABV. Three 6-year-old whiskies combined then rebarrelled for a year.
Nose: Spearmint, Caramel, bubblegum, and raspberry
Mouth: I'm going to date myself on this one, but the first note I got was the "cardboard flavored gum" that came in a pack of Topps baseball cards in the early '80s. There are also mint, caramel, cinnamon, and oak notes.
Finish: Medium length and Warmth. Lingering cinnamon, and oak.
Thoughts: Not really as much of a fan of this one. I definitely prefer the Tennessee Bourbon. The oak is a bit too forward and not well integrated. This one is a meh.
Heaven's Door Straight Rye Whiskey finished in Vosges Oak Barrels
Purchase Info: $56.99 for three 200 mL bottles at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN. This whiskey at the same store is $75.99 for a 750 mL bottle.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.07 (for the 750 mL)
Details: 46% ABV. Finished in toasted oak barrels from Vosges, France
Nose: Cinnamon, ginger, cedar, tall wild grasses, citrus zest
Mouth: Spicy and sweet. Bubblegum, citrus, cedar, cinnamon, and cardamom.
Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium. Follows the month with bubblegum, cinnamon, and oak.
Thoughts: This is good, but not $75 good. I'd happily accept a glass if you are buying though.
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