Bob Dylan’s Heaven’s Door Has a New Bourbon with a Calvados Finish – Robb Report

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It looks like sometimes Heaven’s door opens into France—at least in the case of the latest expression from Bob Dylan‘s whiskey brand. The inaugural release in the new Exploration Series is a bourbon finished in Calvados barrels, and we got an early taste to see what this Gallic influence brings to the spirit.

Heaven’s Door is one of the better celebrity-backed spirits brands out there, and that’s saying a lot given how numerous they are these days. The core lineup consists of a bourbon, a rye, and a double-barrel whiskey. This is supplemented by some high-end, limited-edition releases like last year’s Bootleg Series Vol. V, an 18-year-old bourbon finished in red vermouth casks. The new whiskey in question is the first in the brand’s Exploration Series, which will consist of two new bottles per year. It’s a Tennessee bourbon (the brand still sources whiskey, even while it now operates its own distillery in Kentucky) that was finished in Calvados barrels, a type of brandy made from apples that is produced in the eponymous region of France. Lastly, the whiskey is given a final finish by inserting medium-heavy toasted French oak staves into the barrels. That last step might sound familiar to fans of the Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series, which is built around custom-cooked stave finishes.

“Our new medium-heavy toasted French oak staves bring forth balanced complexity and enhanced aroma, culminating in a dark color and a smoother, creamier mouthfeel, providing a truly enriched flavor experience,” said master blender Alex Moore in a statement. He points to “baking notes associated with apples” as the result, like brown sugar, pastry, caramel, and biscuit notes. Those flavors are present, along with notes of green apple, fresh citrus, black pepper spice, and Concord grapes on the palate, with a little flash of heat due to the whiskey being bottled at 108 proof.

Heaven’s Door Exploration Series No. 1 is available now from online and brick and mortar retailers. And you can find the rest of the lineup, including some of the recent Bootleg expressions and a set of whiskey stones (but seriously, don’t buy those), available to purchase now from ReserveBar.