All the cards are on the table here. I’m getting old. I’m almost 50, and the number of years behind me is probably greater than the number ahead of me. However, I’m not so old that I grew up being aware of Bob Dylan. I first heard Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door (this brand’s namesake) as a Guns N’ Roses song. A live version was in heavy rotation on MTV in the late 80s, or so I remember. And being a youngster, as far as I was concerned, it was their song. I’d never heard of Bob Dylan.
Of course, as I got older, my music tastes changed. Being quite the curmudgeon even then, in response to the rise of Grunge and Alternative Music, I got really into Classic Rock (which at the time was defined as late ’60s through ’70s rock music; let’s not talk about how it is defined these days…). This was when I realized that Bob Dylan was “that dude on the radio that really couldn’t sing that well, yet everyone seemed to like.” Which may be harsh and reductive, but I was young and more inclined to judge things harshly and reductively. I’m still more of a fan of Dylan's songs performed by other people than of his songs performed by himself, except as a member of the Traveling Wilburys. But I now understand the appeal and why he’s a part of our shared musical history.
So all that is to say that, unlike most Minnesotans of a certain age, I don’t hold any particular reverence for this one of our famous sons. I thought it odd when he put out a whiskey brand, but I also thought: “Heck, a lot of other celebrity brands have come and gone over the years. Why not Bob Dylan?” I reviewed their Trilogy 3-pack of 200 mL bottles back in late 2020. And then didn’t really give them another thought.
But then it did the darndest thing happened. The brand stuck around. Unlike a lot of other celebrity brands, it didn’t go away, which says to me that they must be doing something right. And so when I saw an email come across my desk highlighting a new expression that the brand was releasing, I was intrigued. And when I saw that it was a bourbon finished in Calvados casks, I was interested enough to go to the Heaven’s Door website and order myself a bottle. I love apple brandy. And from the first time I bought a bottle of apple brandy, I’ve been mixing it with bourbon. To me, the flavors go together extremely well.
Now, let’s look at this specific bourbon, shall we? We already know that it is a straight bourbon finished in Calvados casks. Calvados, if you were unaware, is an apple brandy from the Normandy region of France. Hence the brandy talk above. The bourbon is five years old and, well, let’s let the marketing folks from the brand describe this for me. They get paid more to write than I do.
The series’ debut is deeply rooted in French influence, with carefully incorporated elements of product, wood, and technique. Its foundation is comprised of Heaven’s Door’s award-winning Tennessee Straight Bourbon whiskey finished inside freshly dumped Calvados Brandy casks. We then introduce an additional layer of complexity through medium-heavy toasted French oak staves.
Calvados, an apple brandy from Normandy, France, matures for at least two years in the French oak casks before being filled with our Tennessee Bourbon. This imparts sought-after characteristics like fresh apple cider and baked apple brandy. Our new, medium-heavy toasted French oak staves, sourced from Quercus Petraea trees, offer excellent aroma, medium ellagitannins, and high oxygen permeability.
Let’s see how it tastes.
Heaven’s Door Exploration Series I - Calvados Finish
Purchase Info: $79.99 for a 750 mL bottle from the Heaven’s Door Website.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.33
Details: 54% ABV. Finished in Calvados casks and toasted oak staves. 5 years old.
Nose: Apple blossoms, honey, and baking spices.
Mouth: Caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, baked apple, honey, and oak.
Finish: Medium length and warmth with notes of baking spice, floral apple, almond, and oak.
Thoughts: If you do not like apple brandy, you probably won't like this. However, as I'm a fan of apple brandy, I do like it. It reminds me of some of my home blends, where I'd mix apple brandy and bourbon, which means that the finishing was worthwhile and not just a gimmick. The bourbon isn’t as hot as I'd have expected a triple-digit proof bourbon to be. In other words, it can easily be consumed neat without water or ice. All in all, I like it, though $80 is a little expensive for me to want to buy another bottle when I usually have both bourbon and apple brandy on hand.
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