This is my first experience with Heaven’s Door. Mainly because of the mixed reviews for their flagship expressions, and I’m not in to celebrity branding. Though Heaven’s Door is a lot more serious than the typical celebrity one-offs looking to make a quick buck. I waited a long time until a good known pick to come along and here is it is. As for the source of this bottle, Jay West clearly stated this barrel came from the Tennessee Distilling Group which is in Columbia TN. So, no mystery here.
Tennessee Distilling Group
Owned by Mike Williams who is also the master distiller, the Tennessee Distilling Group in Columbia TN, is one of many distilleries in middle Tennessee that have cropped up in the past several years. The TDC website says, “We produce traditional Charcoal-Mellowed Tennessee Whiskey as well as Bourbon, Rye, Corn and Malt whiskeys”. Though Heaven’s Door chooses not to use the Lincoln County process for their single barrel selections, Williams has a history creating whiskey in this well known Tennessee whiskey tradition. Before Mike Williams created TDG in 2015, he was the master distiller and proprietor of another Nashville based distillery called Collier and McKeel. There, Mike also created Tennessee style whiskey before he sold Collier and McKeel to a California based company. Interestingly enough, Mike Williams was once the Tennessee State Representative for Williamson County. In 2009 Mike helped push through new laws that made craft distilling possible in county’s other than Coffee, Moore and Lincoln. Since 2009 there have been many new Tennessee based distilleries crafting whiskeys of all varieties. Anyway, it’s time to stop typing and start tasting, so let’s get on with this.
Selected by: Jay West for r/bourbon.
Distillery: Tennessee Distilling Group.
Proof: 125.7
Age: 4 Years, 7 months.
Barrel #: 21601, 53 Gallon Kelvin Cooperage Char #4.
Mash bill: 70% Corn/22% Rye/8% Malted Barley.
Price: Retail $70.
Appearance: Dark reddish caramel.
Nose
Caramel, raisins, dark plum, cocoa, brown sugar, peaches, fennel, dill, hint of orange citrus, oak, barrel char with a hint of baking spice. The balance on this excellent. After some sips I get more chocolate, dark plum, raisins and the right amount of barrel char. This nose is dark, rich and complex. It’s like a waffle drizzled with oaked barreled maple syrup. How old is this whiskey again?
Palate
Medium viscous mouthfeel with a nice Kentucky….urr….I mean Tennessee hug. Wow. The nose of this pour moves right onto the palate with a burst of chocolate, plum, dark stone fruit, raisins, werther’s caramel, orange peel, fennel with a surprising amount of baking spice. Along with all this is a healthy dose of barrel char but still amazingly well balanced. Baking spice certainly doesn’t waste any time as it ramps up, lingering in the cheeks and back palate to the finish. This is delicious, drinking way below its proof.
Finish
Baking spice lingers for a very long time throughout this whole finish, while plenty of tannins of leather and tobacco focusing on the mid and back palate. There is also an impressive amount of cocoa, stone fruit, caramel and herbal notes that stay hitched for the whole ride. This is a very good and long finish. Again, how old is this barrel? If you told me at least 8 years I wouldn’t question it.
Conclusion
I fully admit I was not expecting this bottle to be this good. I almost can’t get over how complex it is. The whole profile on this bottle is excellent. I’ve shared it with friends, and they had the same reaction. This selection doesn’t have the typical TN whiskey “Lincoln County” profile, and that’s both surprising and refreshing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of TN whiskey, both JD and Dickel. I just don’t think every bottle distilled in TN should be expected to use run their distillate through maple charcoal filtering.
I thought maybe this bottle came out of a 35 gallon barrel because of the lower yield, and how mature this profile was for being close to only 5 years old. But Jay assured me this came from a 53 gallon barrel. This kind of effort will have me watching what Heaven’s Door does with these expressions as time goes on. I’m glad that I took a chance on this selection and consider this to be an excellent pour.
Rating: 8/10.
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.
