Heaven’s Door’s annual Bootleg Series arrives with edition #6, and as always there are plenty of twists in store from the Bob Dylan-operated brand. This whiskey is hardly a complete unknown, but rather a well-known quantity, featuring a blend of 12-, 13-, and 14-year-old wheated bourbons finished in “Limousin cigar barrels” and bottled in a ceramic decanter.
What is a Limousin cigar barrel? Glad you asked:
Alex Moore, Lead Blender for Heaven’s Door, experimented with more than a dozen different types of barrels for the secondary finish on Bootleg Volume VI before finally choosing the cigar barrel. “A cigar barrel is given its name due to its tall, elongated cigar-like shape. The shape of this barrel provides more whiskey to wood-to-surface contact which yields more pronounced flavor notes,” explained Moore. “Additionally, the Limousin oak is air dried over time versus kiln dried, which makes a big difference in terms of the tannins and sugars that are naturally resident in the oak.”
Secondary finishing in the cigar barrels imparts notes of spice, dried fruit and toasted oak and are the perfect counterbalance to the softer, slightly sweeter notes of a wheated bourbon.
Let’s give it a whirl.
On the nose, the whiskey is immediately quite wine-heavy and sharp with a mix of fruits, ranging from citrus to cherry to lighter tropical overtones. Spice-laden elements emerge with a bit of air time, and while the evocation of the word “cigar” may have some subconscious impact, there is a distinct tobacco note that snaps at the nostrils. From there, it’s all salt-and-pepper almonds, a mix of heat and sweet.
The palate is aggressive and unlike any wheated bourbon I’ve encountered — much sharper and quite peppery, though some of that has to do with the 56% abv. The palate is struck with an immediate note of menthol and a second helping of those salt-and-pepper almonds, their sweetness melting into a sort of marzipan note as the whiskey develops in the glass. Flavors of both creamy coconut milk and crispy toasted coconut continue that vaguely tropical bent, though more exotic spice notes of saffron and more of that tobacco quickly come to dominate. The finish brings things full circle, with notes of charred citrus and a pinch of green pepper adding a distinct, lingering spice.
All told, a little out there, but as expected when dealing with whiskey from the Bard.
112 proof.
A- / $500 / heavensdoor.com
Heaven’s Door Bootleg Series Vol. VI
$500
