Knockin’ Back Heaven’s Door: Bob Dylan, Whiskey, and A Complete Unknown

It’s getting dark too dark to see.

Feels like I’m knockin’ on Heaven’s door…

The Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown starring Timothée Chalamet as the legendary American singer-songwriter arrived in the UK last week. Not that I probably need to tell any of you given it’s everywhere. Critical and commercial success? Pick a lane, Bob. 

It’s not the first film made about Dylan and it likely won’t be the last, given he’s one of the most renowned and influential artists of all time. In a career that spans over six decades, he’s sold over 125 million records, is one of only two songwriters* to have been awarded The Nobel Prize in Literature, and his memoir, Chronicles Vol. 1, spent 19 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List in 2004.

I got a chance to see the film at a preview last week and since then I’ve had Dylan on the brain. A whisky blog wouldn’t typically give me much excuse to write about him. Good thing then Dylan has a whiskey brand: Heaven’s Door.

If you weren’t aware he had one of those, then strap in, this article is going to be a treat of discovery for you. We’re going to get to know the brand and the man behind it. One who is also an artist of drawings, paintings, and sculptures as well as a keen boxer and the co-owner of a fine distillery in Kentucky. The focus will be primarily on the latter here because this is Master of Malt after all. 

Here’s the story of Heaven’s Door Whiskey. 

The story of Heaven’s Door Whiskey 

Heaven’s Door dates back to 2015, when Marc Bushala, the C.E.O. of Spirits Investment Partnership, was looking for a new whiskey project after making big bucks selling Angel’s Envy Bourbon to Bacardi. “I had read that Bob Dylan filed a trademark application for a whiskey called Bootleg. I thought it was really interesting that he would want to own anything, particularly launch a whiskey brand. I was fascinated just thinking about what that would be,” Bushala explains. 

After considering what a Dylan whiskey brand would be it was decided that having a singular whiskey expression for somebody so prolific and diverse in their music didn’t make sense. “We thought maybe an evolving repertoire collection – or catalogue if you will – of whiskeys was more on brand. Conversations with Bob evolved into having whiskeys that told stories in their own way”.

The name was taken from one of his most famous hits, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door. But it wasn’t music, but Dylan’s visual art that got the creative juices flowing. “As a Bob Dylan fan, I was amazed to learn that he was a painter and a sculptor. We thought this positioning of the perfect blending of art and craft could be a really fun place to play”.  

His art became the inspiration for the bottle designs, with the paintings being used on special releases and the metal work for the core range. You’ll see the whiskeys pictured in this article adorned with the iron gate artwork designed in his studio, Black Buffalo Ironworks. Spot the crow on the Tennessee bourbon, the heel spur on the rye and a shovel on the double-barrel whiskey. 

Creating the whiskey distillery

The biggest development for the brand in recent years has been the establishment of the Heaven’s Door Whiskey Distillery. Originally the whiskey was sourced (most still is but that will gradually be phased out and replaced with HD original) with a couple of different distilleries producing mashbills to specification. 

The distillery is in a town called Pleasureville in Kentucky. The 160-acre picturesque property was once owned by Squire Boone, the brother of legendary frontiersman Daniel Boone and sits astride Six Mile Creek on the Bourbon Trail, between Lexington and Louisville. It boasts an eighteenth-century grist mill, two eighteenth-century cabins and a Moravian barn, all of which have been restored. “This is part American history tour, part craft distillery,” Bushala says.

But there’s a firm eye on the future too. This is a sustainable outfit, with two underground aquifers providing pristine limestone water and geothermal heating and cooling for its buildings. The distillery grows heirloom grains and recycles protein-rich mash from fermentation for a herd of buffalo it built a farm for. Heaven’s Door has been recognised by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as one of eight distilleries to earn the ENERGY STAR certification for superior energy performance. 

When the brand first launched there was talk the distillery would be built in a Nashville church where Dylan recorded four albums. While this wasn’t pursued, the dedicated brand experience centre is in a church, built in 1860, in downtown Louisville. This is a Dylan centre of excellence, complete with his paintings and sculptures on display. The brand will also curate other exhibits by other artists and intends to create the largest selection of American whiskey anywhere, rather than just feature its own. 

“This is really going to be the High Church of Bourbon,” Bushala explains. “So we’re out procuring every unique and rare bottle we can. We’ll have a small performance space in the church, a full restaurant and then the art gallery”.

How Heaven’s Door Distillery makes whiskey 

The Heaven’s Door Distillery has been quietly under development since 2017 and has been producing small batches of bourbon since 2018. Ken Pierce was brought on as master distiller, a whiskey maker with decades of experience noted for creating 1792 Small Batch Whiskey and Barton’s limited-release expressions.

The distillery features two separate stillhouses, each in its own towering western horse barn, a visitor’s centre with tasting rooms and lounges overlooking the valley and Six Mile Creek. Heaven’s Door can make about 6-8,000 barrels a year of whiskey but production will eventually be scaled to 50,000 barrels with the addition of a second production facility. The distillery, as discussed earlier, grows its own grains, and ferments them for two to two-and-a-half days. But the fermenters are running 24 hours and the whiskey makers are emptying four of them a day. 

The whiskey is distilled in a custom 18-inch thick, 45-foot tall Vendome column still with doubler. The first run through the column still sees the fermented liquid (mash or distiller’s beer depending on which side of the pond you’re on) enter at the top of the column still, right below the first rectifying part of the still. It passes through about 18 plates on the way down while steam comes up from the bottom. The steam passes up through the mash and takes the alcohol vapour right to the top of that still, the rectifying part, where it will recondense and fall back down. This process called reflux is purifying the spirit, bringing it to around 62.5% ABV (125 proof). 

The liquid, called the low wine or first run, is then sent to the doubler, a much shorter second still that looks like a pot still, to redistill it. The new make spirit, or what Americans call ‘white dog’ or ‘white lighting’, comes off at 64% ABV (128 proof). It’s taken diluted to 60% ABV (120 proof) to put into barrels. The new American oak barrels are typically charred to level 3 or level 4 and are left to mature between five years to 10, 12, 15, 20. They won’t be able to go much above 20 years as the hot Kentucky climate will see to it that there’s not much left in the barrel.

Not just another celebrity brand?

One thing the brand is very keen to stress is that this is not just another celebrity drinks brand. Dylan is described as being very much a co-founder of the business. 

“This is not a licensed deal, it’s not a sponsorship deal. This is Bob’s brand and something he wanted to do and we’re here to help them realise that vision,” Bushala says. “People ask ‘Why is he involved? Why did he want to do a whiskey brand’. We think about his persona as we answer that question. It’s like, ‘Well why does he paint?’ ‘Why is he sculpting?’ He has a boxing ring in his home. The man tours 100 days a year in his 80s. What drives that creative passion to constantly reinvent yourself and push yourself? That’s who Bob is. We draw inspiration from that and I think it comes through in the work that we’re doing”.

Daryl Beare, brand ambassador for Heaven’s Door, says that he’s been told Dylan has a great palate and a keen nose for whiskey. “He describes things so poetically that it can be difficult to decipher what direction he wants to go with whiskey but we wouldn’t have it any other way!” Still, Beare believes in the whiskey enough that he encourages people to try it without any preconceptions or prior knowledge. Typically they’re impressed. We’d also recommend you don’t let scepticism leave you Tangled Up in Blue, try it and decide for yourself…. Oh, we had to slip one in, didn’t we?

The numbers certainly make for healthy reading. Heaven’s Door is growing at 3x the rate of the American whiskey category, ranking 18th out of 327 premium whiskey brands (retailing for more than $45) in sales in 2022. It made a total of £1,497,037 in sales, which was a 13% growth compared to the same period the previous year, sitting above the likes of Bardstown Bourbon and New Riff. 

Heaven’s Door: Not quite ‘A Complete Unknown’

The release of A Complete Unknown creates an interesting new platform for the brand, not that it struggles to grab attention with one of the most famous brand ambassadors in the world. But Beare has seen an effect. 

“As a relatively small brand in the UK, it’s a huge honour to even be considered. Having an affiliation with an alcohol business is always a tricky aspect for film releases but it really made sense in this case and was authentic to Bob Dylan’s story. We’re an official partner to the film release and not a sponsor in the UK, the support from Searchlight has been fantastic, it’s helped to open up activity in both on and off-trade”.

Heaven’s Door Whiskey 

So, what of the whiskey itself? It’s said that over 100 different blends were trialled before the team settled on the final recipe for the Heaven’s Door core range, which features three expressions, a Straight Rye, a Double Barrel Bourbon and the Tennessee Bourbon. 

There’s also the Decade Series, featuring whiskeys aged for at least 10 years, as well as the Bootleg Series, comprised of special blends, barrel finishes, and rare stocks. For the Bootleg bottlings, hand-made ceramic bottles featuring Dylan’s paintings add to the appeal, making them a must-have for Dylan fanatics and collectors. I haven’t tasted any of these, but the Robb Report called it “one of the best bourbons of the 21st century”.

I tried the range when they first came out, although there’s been some change since then. This was my original review: “The Tennessee Bourbon has a light, supple and sweet profile but it’s also varied, elegant and often pleasantly surprising in its complexity. Heaven’s Door Double Barrel Bourbon is darker and spicier, with more candied fruit, but the poorest of the three for my money. The same cannot be said for the rye, which is completely unexpected. It’s incredibly delicate and measured and avoids the trap of being a one-dimensional rye spice for flavour. It might not satisfy those who want the classic rye profile, but this is Dylan, after all, so you should expect something that takes you down a different path”.

Change is in the bones of Heaven’s Door, according to Beare. “Someone told me once that Dylan has never played the same song twice – different chords, extra verses, interludes. We call it the ‘restless spirit of Bob Dylan’ and this translates into the whiskey (Our Bootleg whiskey series in particular)”. He says they take inspiration from not just the music but his artwork as well. “Utilising different age statements, mash bills and cask finishing is the key to the whiskey’s identity and storytelling. Think of the mash bill as the canvas and ages and casks as brush strokes”.

Across the brand’s website and various social media platforms, there are numerous cocktail recipes and suggestions to mix and play with Heaven’s Door whiskies. The Gore Hotel in Kensington (which famously hosted album launches for the Rolling Stones) even curated a popcorn and whiskey cocktail for London Cocktail Week ahead of the film release last year. Bob Dylan’s artistic approach to whiskey tasting notes also means the brand’s tasting notes also include Time, Mood, and Occasion. 

You can check them out below and learn more about each whiskey. To purchase, click on the links in the product’s name and this will take you to the product page where’s the price and availability info. Now go and see the film. And drink whiskey while you do. Film and good whiskey make a great pairing if you haven’t enjoyed them together already. 

Heaven’s Door Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey

The Tennessee Bourbon was made with a mash bill featuring 70% corn 22% rye, and 8% malted barley. We also know it was crafted with the sour mash distillation process, was aged for a minimum of five years in new American oak barrels, and was bottled non-chill filtered at 42% ABV. We don’t know for sure where it’s from. Some say George Dickel is the supplier but the brand is tight-lipped. 

It has won Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Double Gold at the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, and got 96 points from the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

Nose: Aromas of caramel, vanilla, and oak with hints of charred wood and toasted grains.

Palate: Delightful notes featuring flavours of caramel, cherry and warming winter spice.

Finish: A smooth and enduring finish, vanilla notes, harmoniously paired with peanut brittle and nutmeg.

Time: Best savoured in the early evening, just as the sun begins to set and casts a warm, golden hue over the horizon. This time of day complements the bourbon’s rich amber colour and invites a reflective moment to unwind after a long day.

Mood: The mood surrounding this bourbon is one of relaxed sophistication and contemplative enjoyment. It’s ideal for those moments when you want to pause and appreciate the finer things in life. Whether you’re alone with your thoughts or in the company of close friends, it creates an ambience of intimate connection and thoughtful conversation.

Occasion: This bourbon shines during a quiet evening at home or a small gathering of friends who appreciate quality spirits. Pair it with a curated playlist or a favourite book for a truly immersive experience. A truly versatile spirit that enhances moments of relaxation and celebration with its complex flavours and inviting warmth.

Heaven’s Door Double Barrel Bourbon Whiskey

Heaven’s Door Double Barrel Whiskey is comprised of two straight bourbons, the first with a mash bill of 70% corn, 22% rye, and 8% malted barley and the second with a higher corn and lower rye mash bill: 77% corn, 15% rye, and 8% malted barley. Each was aged independently in new oak barrels from Louisville-based Kelvin Cooperage for a minimum of five years before being blended and aged an additional 6-12 months in custom-made Tonnellerie Radoux barrels that are seasoned for 24 months in the open air, allowing the wood to develop. Heaven’s Door Double Barrel Whiskey was bottled at 50% ABV

It has won Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Whisky of the Year at the London Spirits Competition, and got 93 points from the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

Nose: Maple with milled grains and a light nuttiness. 

Palate: Caramel, dough, dark cherry, Meyer lemon. Dry oak, vanilla bean.

Finish: A luxurious build of soft oak with a lasting nuance of spice and vanilla.

Time: Arguably best appreciated during the twilight hours, when the day’s activities have transitioned into a serene evening. This time of day allows the whiskey’s layered complexities to unfold fully, inviting a moment of leisure and reflection. Perhaps sunk into a deep-set armchair surrounded by the natural elegance of wooden furnishings, every sip offering a pause of time. 

Mood: The mood that compliments this whiskey is one of sophistication and quiet indulgence. It is ideal for the moments when you seek to unwind in style, perhaps accompanied by softer music, a gentle spatter of rain on the window or the gentle crackle of a fire. The whiskey’s smooth yet robust profile encourages a tranquil yet engaging atmosphere. Its double oak profile lends itself to maturity, both in mentality and physically. 

Occasion: Heaven’s Door Double Barrel Whiskey is perfect for intimate gatherings. It’s an excellent choice for a tasting among connoisseurs or a dinner party where conversation flows as smoothly as the whiskey itself. Its nuanced character also pairs well with a curated selection of artisanal cheeses or fine chocolates. A richly rewarding experience, ideal for moments that demand both depth, sophistication and luxurious indulgence.

Heaven’s Door Straight Rye Whiskey

The Straight Rye Whiskey is made from a mash bill of 100% rye and is aged for 6-8 years and then finished in Amontillado sherry casks to give it a sweet, fruity and distinctive character. Typically, this finish is for up to six months, however, that’s weather and season-dependent. It’s bottled at 43% ABV

It has won Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Gold at the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, and got 93 points from the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

Nose: Bright, with orange, tropical fruit, coriander, and spice.

Palate: Tropical fruit, honey, caramel, and vanilla, with subtle warming spice.

Finish: Subtle spice gives way to mint that lingers in a calm, delicate and slightly succulent finish.

Time: Envision Heaven’s Door Straight Rye Whiskey as a summer’s sunset elegantly captured within a glass, ideally savoured as the afternoon transitions into evening. The resplendence of a blue sky at dusk harmonises with the whiskey’s intricate flavours, rendering each sip an exquisite journey for the palate.

Mood: Its mood is one of creative inspiration and jovial beginnings. It’s perfect for times when you want to engage in playful moments with close friends or ignite your creative spirit. Whether you’re entertaining, writing, painting, or simply pondering life’s mysteries, the whiskey provides a comforting, yet stimulating and vibrant backdrop.

Occasion: This whiskey is well-suited for lively gatherings or solo moments of creative madness. It’s an excellent choice for an afternoon on the sun-drenched patio or a contemplative moment under the shade of a leafy tree. Its hints of tropical fruit and fragrant coriander add a lively dimension to any occasion, with its spice grounding it in balance and complexity. In essence, Heaven’s Door Straight Rye Whiskey is a vibrant spirit that enhances moments of joyous reflection and creative exploration, delivering a rich tapestry of flavours that are both timeless and evocative.

*Rabindranath Tagore won in 1913.

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