Bob Dylan Unveils His 1st Kentucky Bourbon, Produced at the New Distillery Heaven’s Door Kept Secret for 6 Years

Heaven’s Door just launched a new bourbon, Ascension, which coincided with an entire label redesign for the brand. (Photo: Heaven’s Door)

Heaven’s Door, the whiskey brand owned by Grammy-award-winning rock musician Bob Dylan, has released Ascension Kentucky Straight Bourbon and added it to the brand’s core collection of whiskeys. The brand announced in a news release the new blend of two bourbons bottled at 92 proof would coincide with revitalized labels for the core whiskeys inspired by iron metalworks created by the artist.

Each whiskey in the core portfolio has a name in addition to its new label as a part of Dylan’s goal to create whiskeys that “tell their own story.”

Ascension Kentucky Straight Bourbon is a blend of two Kentucky straight bourbons made by the company’s own distillate at its new Six Mile Creek-based distillery.  Though the distillery was only announced in April and won’t open to the public until this fall, the brand has been secretly operating out of the location for six years.

The newest bourbon expression is non-chill-filtered and aged for more five years prior to being blended in small batches and bottled at 92 proof.

“Our commitment to crafting award-winning whiskey is evident in every step of our process, from grain selection to distillation to the barrels we use for blending. For this exceptional Kentucky bourbon, we meticulously blend each small batch to create its distinctive flavor profile,” Heaven’s Door Master Blender Alex Moore said in a news release. “We are excited to add our Kentucky bourbon to our permanent collection and invite bourbon lovers to compare and contrast it with our award-winning Tennessee bourbon. Both of the Heaven’s Door bourbons feature similar mash bills and are aged for the same amount of time and bottled at the same proof, but result in two very different bourbon expressions.”

This latest addition to the core collection follows hot on the heels of Heaven’s Door’s June release of a 10 Year Rye Whiskey as part of the Decade Series.

As for the other expressions in the core collection, the brand’s rework involves bespoke labels that serve as an homage to Dylan’s iron metalworking.

“Our new packing design honors the artistry of Bob Dylan by elegantly framing his iconic gate artwork with greater intricacy. Each expression in the Heaven’s Door portfolio features a different one of Dylan’s iron gates in a scale that allows for more of each piece of artwork to be seen in its entirety,” Al Vallejo, chief creative officer at Heaven’s Door, said in the news releae.

More About the Heaven’s Door Core Portfolio

Ascension — Kentucky Straight Bourbon

The latest release in the Heaven’s Door series is described by the brand as having a smooth and distinctive quality. The brand states it has aromas of baked bread, buttered popcorn and dried fruit. The palate is described as “rich and complex” with balanced notes of caramel, vanilla and cinnamon.

Revival — Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey

This Tennessee bourbon took home the Consumer Choice Award from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and hosts a suggested retail price of $55. The bourbon was aged for a minimum of five years in new American oak barrels. The brand describes Revival as having aromas of vanilla and baking spice layered over a spine of toasted oak. If you want to read our house review of it, click here.

Revelation — Double Barrel Whiskey

Revelation is considered Dylan’s “personal favorite,” according to the brand. The blended whiskey is comprised of three different whiskeys aged independently for a minimum of six years in new oak. They are married and aged for six additional months in bespoke 59-gallon heavily charred American oak barrels. The spirit clocks in at 100 proof and has a suggested retail price of $60. The brand describes Revelation as having aromas of caramel, citrus and baking spices.

Refuge — Straight Rye Whiskey Finished In Amontillado Sherry Casks (New Finish)

Refuge is a 100% rye whiskey in Amontillado sherry casks.  This expression was previously finished in toasted cigar barrels, and the sherry casks are a new choice of finish from the distillery. The rye is aged for about 6-8 years and blended prior to being finished in these casks and bottled at 92 proof. Refuge has a suggested retail price of $70 and is described by the brand as having aromas of dried fruits with a delicately spicy finish.

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