The distillery has been producing small batches of Bourbon on its custom still since 2018, after Ken Pierce was brought on as master distiller to lead the project from design through to distillation. Aside from his music, Dylan is a skilled welder well known for his iron gates artwork. In fact, in 2016, Dylan was commissioned to create a permanent piece for the MGM National Harbor casino resort in Washington, D.C. That 26-by-15-foot gate, named “Portal” — along with Dylan’s other fascinating gate pieces — became the basis for the Heaven’s Door brand’s design. The bottles were custom created to best showcase the artwork, with each bottle displaying one of the artist’s designs. Heaven’s Door will soon have roots in Nashville. If you also offer tastings, which I think is crucial – as people might wonder if it’s just a celebrity-endorsed brand – I genuinely believe this channel is perfect for your brand. SIP is converting Nashville’s Elm Street Church into the Heaven’s Door Distillery and Center for the Arts, which will house a performance place, a whiskey library, a restaurant, the still house itself, and an art centre that houses paintings and metalwork sculptures created by Dylan. The renovation is set to be completed this year.

EH: Yes, it’s incredible that at his age, over 80, he’s still touring. He just completed his European tour and recently launched his North American tour, which will continue for the rest of the year. In fact, I’m looking forward to attending my first live Dylan concert. Spanish is the loving tongue Few spirits brands embrace those qualities as much as Heaven’s Door bourbon, a brand linked by both commercial and creative involvement with the great American singer/songwriter Bob Dylan. Aucher plans to develop the brand in travel retail to complement its strong US success and growing export presence. Finish: A lot of vanilla, oak, and pepper on the finish. Long and strong, but by no means rough. Taste Summary Cask Strength whiskey is not cut with water. The whiskey that comes out the barrel is the whiskey that goes into the bottle. Cask strength whiskey is commonly bottled around 120 proof, but you’ll see instances of it being both lower and higher. In addition to that, it’s a very sugary sweet type of whiskey. Is that maple sugar? Brown sugar? Cinnamon sugar? all three, I suppose. the fruit hides a little bit behind the high proof and strong oak. The pepper and rye spice was a bit more present than expected given it’s only a 10% rye mash.Heaven’s Door is in the process of building their own distillery, but in the meantime, they are sourcing whiskey from a Tennessee Distillery. According to this VinePair article, Heaven’s Door intended on opening up a distillery in Nashville, a place that would make sense given Bob Dylan’s role in the company. However, it seems they are partnering with Six-Mile Creek Distillery to expand in Pleasureville, KY.

BUT for them to be the source it would mean Pennington had to be sitting on a large cache of early barrels and Dylan & Co. bought them all. There is no mention of the Lincoln County Process so Prichard’s could also be a suspect, but I couldn’t find their mash bill anywhere. That’s a lot of speculation, but the real test is how it smells and tastes, which we’ll get into right now in the Tennessee Bourbon review below. Heaven’s Door offers a variety of premium whiskies, such as straight bourbon, double barrel whiskey, and straight rye whiskey. ProductionAs for planning for growth, this year we are projected to reach approximately 55,000 9-litre cases, a +40% increase from last year’s nearly 40,000 cases. We anticipate this growth trend will continue. You’ll get caramel, raisin, vanilla, tea tannins, and fresh lemons. Many love this drink because of its long finish, which is a sign of good whiskey. With our distillery opening in Pleasureville, having our brand experience in Louisville made more sense,” said Bushala. Pierce said: “The Heaven’s Door Distillery has been an incredible project, from inception to production of our first barrels. For me, this is a living legacy of my 40 years in the industry and my passion for making great whiskey.”

The Double Barrel Whiskey (100 proof and 50% ABV) blends a traditional bourbon mash bill and a straight rye whiskey before the Tennessee-bred combo undergoes one helluva journey. Like the Straight Bourbon, it’s aged for six years before the resulting product spends another year in a heavily charred oak barrel and ultimately experiences the Lincoln County Process (which means it’s maple charcoal mellowed after distillation). Expect dry fruit, lots of wood influence, and a smooth caramel finish. It’s true that it might be slightly overpriced and that there are better whiskeys you can buy in the same price range, but think about this -- not all whiskeys have an input from Bob Dylan. In that respect, you’re not just buying a drink. You’re buying a slice of American history. Quietly under development since 2017, the distillery has been producing small batches of exceptional bourbon on its custom Vendome still since 2018. The Heaven’s Door Distillery features two separate stillhouses, each in its own towering western horse barn, a Visitor’s Center with tasting rooms and lounges overlooking the valley and Six Mile Creek, an eighteenth-century grist mill, two eighteenth-century cabins and a Moravian barn, all of which have been painstakingly restored. Heaven’s Door Distillery plans to open its doors to the public in Spring 2024. We also see significant potential in Mainland China, Taiwan, South Korea and Canada (where we plan to double our business). Export is undoubtedly a substantial opportunity for us, and travel retail is a key focus. Through Ronan and another colleague Andy McNamara who manages our APAC business, we’re intensifying our efforts in travel retail. A unique mash bill from Tennessee, the Heaven’s Door Tennessee Straight Bourbon utilizes 30% “small grains” to complement the character imparted from spending a minimum of 8 years in American oak barrels. The result is smooth and lasting with notes of vanilla and baked bread layered over a bed of toasted oak.Dylan launched his own brand of Tennessee whiskey called Heaven’s Door in 2018, named after his 1973 hit that was later famously covered by Guns n’ Roses in 1987. In addition to its Pleasureville distillery, Heaven’s Door has announced it will open a unique brand experience in a former church in Downtown Louisville. The brand experience will house a small live music venue, a private event space and a restaurant and bar featuring one of the largest selections of American whiskeys in the country. In my case, make that five decades. The fact that I can now enjoy another kind of blend, a great American whiskey so associated by liquid and label with the man himself while listening to my Dylan choice of the moment gives me immeasurable satisfaction. The brand experience will house a small live music venue, a private event space, and a restaurant and bar featuring one of the largest selections of American whiskey in the country. In terms of positioning for the future, it’s remarkable how Bob Dylan resonates across generations with many younger people also appreciating his music.

Nose: The bourbon has a strong, warm, sweet yet spicy aroma with hints of cherry and sourdough. I found it has an aroma of warm baked bread.My experience encompasses several whiskey ventures. In December 2022 I was offered the chance to lead the marketing efforts for the Heaven’s Door brand within the Spirit Investment Partners (SIP) organisation, our parent company under which we have multiple businesses. EH : Indeed. Our communication strategy is going to be a blend of Bob Dylan’s influence and a strong emphasis on our brand’s intrinsic qualities. We want to highlight the finest ingredients, the exceptional water source, and the meticulous production process led by our Master Distiller Ken (Pierce) and his team.