Bob Dylan’s Whiskey Brand Recruits Cigar Barrels for Latest ‘Bootleg’ Bottling

Heaven’s Door Spirits, the American whiskey brand founded by Bob Dylan in 2018, has unveiled the latest iteration of its annual Bootleg Series.

This time around, Heaven’s Door has created a blend of 12-, 13- and 14-year-old wheated bourbon reserves finished in Limousin cigar barrels. If tobacco isn’t your thing, fret not; lead blender Alex Moore explains that the “cigar” influence is less about smoke and more about the oak.

“A cigar barrel is given its name due to its tall, elongated cigar-like shape. The shape of this barrel provides more whiskey to wood-to-surface contact which yields more pronounced flavor notes,” Moore remarked in a news release. “Additionally, the Limousin oak is air dried over time versus kiln dried, which makes a big difference in terms of the tannins and sugars that are naturally resident in the oak.”

The brand says that the secondary finish in cigar barrels imparts hefty notes of spice, dried fruit and toasted oak that contrast with the softer and sweeter flavors characteristic of wheated bourbon. Fewer than 5,000 bottles are slated to debut on Dec. 17 at a suggested retail price of $499.99 each.

Similar to previous releases in the Bootleg Series, the ceramic decanter is adorned with artwork created by Bob Dylan. This year’s iteration features a painting dubbed “Favela Villa Candido,” part of a larger series that debuted in 2015 exploring the neighborhoods and iconography of Brazil. Dylan says the work’s textured greens and blues pay homage to Paul Cézanne, one of his favorite impressionists.

We reviewed last year’s release, Volume V, an 18-year-old bourbon finished in Spanish vermouth casks. Despite its admittedly odd premise, it was pretty tasty stuff. Classic hits of oak, vanilla bean and toffee wafted on the nose followed by a wild combination of Luxardo cherry, balsamic vinegar and spiced pear on the palate. The $599 release ($100 more than this year’s Bootleg) currently holds an impressive Raided Score® of 91.

Fingers crossed that Dylan can strum up another hit in the series.