Heaven's Door Single Barrel Cask Strength Straight Bourbon

Consumed neat, straight from the bottle. This is the Gallenstein Selection 2. While I'm a big fan of Bob Dylan, this is my first time purchasing a Heaven's Door product. This single barrel is made with 21% Rye from MGP! I'd estimate its age to be between 4 and 5 years. It's not exceptional, but it's a cool feeling to have a Bob Dylan bottle that I'll actually appreciate. On the nose: honey, notes of a cornfield, and a hint of chocolate. This likely leans closer to 4 years old; it's clearly young, though not unpleasant. There's also a powdered sugar aroma. I might be reaching, but I think I detect some fruit. It has a creamy texture on the palate, with an initial impression of extreme sweetness. Pure cane sugar sweetness dominates. The entire experience is overwhelmingly sweet, perhaps the sweetest MGP I've encountered. It's so sweet it makes my lips pucker. Strong notes of honey, vanilla syrup, coffee-shop caramel syrup, and a hint of chocolate are present. It also tastes like candy corn. The youthfulness, or perhaps the rye, becomes apparent on the finish and is quite strong with subsequent sips. I'm now detecting a cinnamon roll flavor on later sips. I'm happy to have tried this Heaven's Door. It's not a remarkable MGP barrel, but its extreme sweetness makes it unique. The novelty is a one-time experience for me; I'd prefer more age on these in the future.

A Liquor City Uncorked selection; "Gallenstein #4" Made with MGP's 75% corn / 21% rye / 4% malted barley mash bill. Distilled in Warehouse WG; Rick level 3-94-01 Barrel #139, Char #3; Medium Toast 57.05% alcohol by volume; 114.1 proof Bottle opened 1 month prior. Nose - Notes of toasted marshmallow, caramel, maple candy, cinnamon, black cherry, buttercream, charred oak, and noticeable ethanol. Palate - Flavors of burnt cinnamon bun, toast, sweet grain, caramel, dry oak, and milk chocolate. The finish is medium-long with sharp oak tannins, a burnt brisket glaze essence, cinnamon dust, maple, and moderate ethanol. This is my first experience with Heaven's Door, and it's a solid offering. My only minor critique is a slightly drier oak bitterness than I prefer. While this particular barrel isn't groundbreaking, it's become my regular go-to bourbon over the past month due to its smooth sippability. Considering the $60 price point, I have no complaints. I'm curious to see how it compares to their more standard George Dickel sourced varieties.

I was eager to sample this barrel pick, initially trying it neat in a glencairn after a 10-minute rest. The nose was dominated by oak, leather, tobacco, and spice, with the proof quite apparent. The palate mirrored this, with a touch of cinnamon. The finish was intensely strong with alcohol, making it difficult to continue. Even though I appreciate high-proof spirits, this was too harsh. Adding a single ice cube significantly softened it, bringing out more cinnamon and caramel. While there's still a lingering burn, it's more manageable. Overall, it was acceptable, not quite what I expected, but not bad. It definitely benefited from ice. Rated 2.25.

The aroma is quite pleasing, with hints of vanilla, cherry, butterscotch, and apple. The taste, however, is quite different from the nose, bringing heavy spice. It's certainly on the spicier side. It's a shame because it obscures many of the other flavors. There's a real absence of balance here. Some fruit appears for a brief moment alongside dark caramel. The spice and pepper completely dominate. It coats the mouth, leaving a decent spicy and dark fruit finish. It's somewhat disappointing. The nose is genuinely nice, which raised my expectations for this one. It's not bad for what it is. I may need to spend more time with this and perhaps it will evolve.

From a store selection at Worldwide Wine & Spirits, bottled at 127.4 proof. Served in a Glencairn after a 15-minute rest. Appearance: Medium amber shade. Smell: Sweet vanilla and caramel notes mingle with a pronounced almond/marzipan character. Hints of jammy fruit are also present, creating a pleasing harmony. Taste: A rich texture coats the mouth, bringing more almond flavor and a dry, oaky sensation. A touch of baking spice is there, but it's not overwhelming. Aftertaste: A moderate warmth lingers for a considerable duration. With Water: Adding a couple of drops of water amplifies the oak and spice notes. General Impression: 9/10 - This is a delightful bourbon. It would stand up well to being served on ice but would be a shame to use in a cocktail. Heaven's Door consistently delivers impressive spirits.

From a store selection in KC, Barrel #168, 111 proof. The nose presented candy corn with a mild alcohol burn, cardamom, and a hint of nutmeg. It showed little viscosity in the glass. The taste was dominated by brown sugar with cinnamon and pepper burn, hints of pie dough and stone fruit. The pepper lingered extensively. My initial tasting from the bottle was pleasant but unremarkable. After several days with air, its flavor improved significantly. While not a unique flavor profile, the sweet brown sugar was quite striking. Adding ice diminished the pepper to nothing and amplified the brown sugar even more. It certainly justified the cost.