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You must be 21 or over to enter this website. If you're not old enough to drink, then you're not old enough to read Breaking Bourbon.
Please read and drink responsibly.
Classification: Straight Bourbon Aged in Spanish Vermouth Rouge Casks
Company: Heaven’s Door Spirits
Distillery: Sourced from an undisclosed distillery(ies)
Release Date: November 2023 (Annual Release)
Proof: 114
Age: 18 Years
Mashbill: Undisclosed
Color: Dark Amber
MSRP: $600 / 700mL (2024)
Maple sugar candy | Concord grape | Caramel | Worcester sauce | Rich, unique, and incredible
Toffee | Tobacco leaf | Chocolate covered almond | Unusual metallic note | Earthy undertone | Slight mineral note | Velvety mouthfeel
Earthy undertone persists | Cigar box | Tobacco | Baking spices | Allspice | Dry & savory
A rich, unique, and memorable whiskey featuring a high age statement, unique finish, ultra premium packaging, and a hefty price tag.
The Heaven’s Door Bootleg series is an annual, limited release that features highly unique and rare whiskeys and comes in super premium packaging. Bottles are adorned with Bob Dylan’s paintings, with the 2023 edition showcasing “No Vacancies” from The Beaten Path Collection. First released in 2019, the 2023 edition is the fifth release in the series and was overseen by Master Distiller Ken Pierce and Master Blender Alex Moore. Notably, this is the first edition of the Bootleg series that is bottled in 700mL bottles as opposed to the previous 750mL and is also the highest-priced release to date in the series.
One thing is certain about the Heaven’s Door Bootleg series; the whiskeys are unique every time. Starting with an 18 year old straight bourbon, the barrels are then finished in Spanish Vermouth Rouge casks, an unusual finishing cask for bourbon. Vermouth is an aromatized, fortified wine flavored with botanicals, and ranges from sweet to dry. The ex-vermouth casks used to finish this bourbon were Rouge, which is French for “red,” and is a sweet vermouth. The barrels were sourced from Spain, where this type of vermouth is both popular and highly produced.
The whiskey’s uniqueness doesn’t end with its background, and it is both strange and delightful at the same time. It starts with an incredible nose that isn’t necessarily complex but delivers its unusual combination of scents with a rich intensity. The palate continues to shake things up, and while it has familiar roots, it veers just enough off-course to give you something to take note of. It finishes on a dry, savory note, trending back towards more familiar territory. Overall it is an interesting whiskey that delivers a fantastic pour, but its price tag can only really be justified by the most diehard whiskey collectors.
