The taste is tart and sweet with white pepper, a touch of grilled pineapple, a hint of oak smoke, honey, toasted caramel, pipe tobacco, and a hint of honey. The finish has a nice balance of baking spices, toasted caramel, honey, and a hint of cooked fruits.
I found myself returning back to this bourbon and being intrigued by all of the layers that it contained throughout the sip. While its price will be a dealbreaker for some, it truly is a bourbon that’s easy to appreciate and recommend.
On the palate, more honey notes, green apple Jolly Rancher, and grape jelly continue the vivid sweetness, augmented by the sweet nuttiness of marzipan and honey peanut butter. A nicely executed and pretty whiskey, finishing with candied almonds.
Palate follows suit with an even heavier oak profile rising up; Finish is great with a slow fade that moves from dried corn to baking spice with a constant oak presence.
While I have to say I prefer the NAS version of Heaven’s Door Tennessee Straight Bourbon to this older — and much more expensive — version, it’s still plenty charming, and just unique enough to merit placing it side by side with the original.
