Heaven's Door Straight Tennessee Bourbon

Rating: 12/23 This won't impact my score, but I want to mention first how well the bottle fits in my hand. It has a front curve and a back curve, getting a little wider from the base to the top. I've heard good things about Heaven's Door. It's a celebrity brand, so my hopes aren't too high, but we'll see. Nose: It begins with just light corn, reminding me of something like Ancient Age, but then it adds some mellow wood, similar to Buffalo Trace, along with some tartness and even that orange note always present in Buffalo Trace products. The sweet corn persists, accompanied by light caramel. There's also a hint of minerality. Buffalo Trace offers a richer flavor with more aged wood notes, but the corn sweetness here is actually quite pleasant. Palate: Sweetness with a dry tartness beneath. Light caramel mixes with orange, along with some tannic oak that introduces a touch of cinnamon and clove. I detect some of the minerality from the nose, but disappointingly little corn sweetness. This was clearly made with a very clean distillate and lacks an ethanol taste, though there's a slight burn on the front of my tongue. A touch of white pepper. Finish: A slightly more bitter note from the orange, with an oily quality, like curaçao. A little light caramel remains, and there's definitely minerality. Some of the tannic wood is present too. - Conclusion - This is easy to drink, but it lacks complexity and maturity. It's somewhat in the Ancient Age category. When compared side-by-side, Buffalo Trace is definitely superior, though not by a large margin. I'd probably rank this slightly higher than Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star (11/23), so a 12 seems like the fairest rating. It's completely functional and fills a niche, but a bourbon of this quality should not cost more than $20.

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual American Whiskey Tasting, February 26, 2021) This review is for the UK version, which has a slightly lower alcohol content of 42%. Made with 70% corn and a high rye content. Aged for 8 years. Distillery not disclosed. Nose: Berries, chocolate, oak, cherry candies. A slightly artificial note. Palate: Vanilla, fruit, nutty, and woody. Hints of buttered popcorn. Finish: Vanilla, oak, sweet, charred wood, nutty, spices (cloves and black pepper). More popcorn towards the end. This drink had a nice mouthfeel. There's a subtle artificial sweetness throughout. Wood and roasted nuts appear at the end, leaving a burnt/sweet aftertaste. It's a very easy-drinking, pleasant dram, though somewhat forgettable. It ranked second out of the six whiskeys tasted, with 20% of the total votes for favorite of the night. 70% of the attendees indicated they enjoyed the whiskey.

Appearance: Copper colored, with respectable legs in the glass Aroma: Toasted grains, caramel apple, cinnamon Palate: The texture feels a bit thin. Significant oak presence and a good amount of spice. It has some of the sweetness of a wheated bourbon but with accompanying spice. Finish: A medium-length finish with a slight warmth. Not disappointing, but not outstanding. Impressions: As a note, I'm sampling the Straight Bourbon, which is not listed here. I received this bottle as part of my Flaviar selection. It carries much of the sweet spice found in a certain Four Roses small batch, but lacks the fruit notes. It's somewhat one-dimensional. I generally avoid reading tasting notes or mash bills while sampling, but after checking, it's 30% rye/barley, which validates my assessment. It's not bad, and I'm glad I tried it, but I won't buy another bottle.

I first tried this spirit when I was just beginning to explore whiskey. Now, with a more developed palate, I've decided to revisit a bottle from this brand. Initially, this doesn't seem like a complex bourbon. The aroma was slightly sharp right after opening, but it mellows with time. The flavor is sweet, with some brown sugar notes, typical of a solid but unremarkable bourbon. Then, a subtle rye spice appears at the end, which is surprising given the aroma and initial taste don't suggest much rye in the grain composition. The finish is a bit dry and leaves you wanting more. It's an interesting bourbon, and I understand its appeal. This bourbon offers a bit of everything.

From the nose, I detect sweet caramel; I'm a bit concerned as it doesn't match my recollection. I recall not liking this previously, but the nose smells pleasant. Further smelling reveals a hint of floral perfume. The taste doesn't deliver the caramel for me. It tastes sweet and floral, with a significant oak presence. Beneath the pleasant flavors, there's a bitterness. Towards the end of the glass, I finally found some of that caramel. The finish is shorter, which I attribute to the 90 proof. Overall, it's a quite complex whiskey. I enjoyed it more than I remembered. I wonder if an ice cube amplifies the lurking bitterness.

Dark golden color with copper undertones. Moderate viscosity, leaving a pleasing film on the glass. The aroma is dominated by corn, charred wood, deep caramel, and vanilla, with a subtle suggestion of baking spices. A thick texture on the palate, predominantly sweet initially. It then reveals a touch of mint and clove before transitioning to a finish that oscillates between charred wood, oak, corn, and those spices. It's dependable. It's the quintessential bourbon. I would purchase this again at $44 if it were available. While additional aging might truly enhance its balance and subtlety, all the positive aspects are present.