BOTTLE DETAILS

• DISTILLER: Produced by Heaven’s Door. The distiller is undisclosed.
• MASH BILL: Undisclosed Tennessee straight bourbon whiskey finished in Calvados brandy casks from Normandy, France, with the addition of medium-heavy toasted French oak staves. (Kosher Certified)
• AGE: No less than 5 years
• YEAR: 2024
• PROOF: 108 (54% ABV)
• MSRP: $79.99
• BUY ONLINE: Heaven’s Door Website

POPS’ NOTES

SHARE WITH: Folks who enjoy exploring finished whiskeys, those who enjoy brandy, and bourbon drinkers looking to diversify their home bar without spending $100+ on yet another new expression.

WORTH THE PRICE: It’s a tad overprice for my palate/value equation but compared to most new releases these days it seems to be in good company.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bar / Bottle – Split decision for me. I wouldn’t mind having a bottle or two at home to drink and share with guests, but $79.99 is about $20 too high for my value equation to buy without trying at a bar first. For others who normally spend $100+ to try something new, this one is a steal.

OVERALL: A quick small of this whiskey, and there’s no question about how it was finished. The nose is stuffed full of juicy apples. The Calvados barrel influence is big and bold without overdoing things. The juicy apple is mixed with brown sugar, caramel, and oak, resulting in a well-based aroma that is incredibly inviting.

The mouthfeel is oily and heavy, delivering a flavor combination of cooked apples, brown sugar, and caramel, followed by big oak notes that amazingly avoided becoming too tannic and bitter. The finish sees the sweet notes return with a caramel apple fade to dusty, dry oak. Simple and tasty.

Overall, I enjoyed this whiskey, and as stated above, I wouldn’t mind having a bottle or two available at home. But it’s just a bit too expensive for what it is compared to other offerings at this price point. That said, I’m not the biggest fan of finished bourbons. If finished bourbons is one of our favorite styles, I could understand you grabbing a few bottles and basking in the price point compared to others on the market.

BRAND NOTES

NOSE: The fine-grained Petraea oak contributes excellent aroma, medium ellagitannins, and high oxygen permeability.

PALATE: Heavy toast that enhances the baking notes commonly linked with apples, including brown sugar, pastry, caramel, and biscuits.

The new Exploration Series from Heaven’s Door continues to push boundaries for crafting premium, small-batch whiskey. Led by Master Distiller Ken Pierce, and Master Blender Alex Moore, our team explores new finishing methods for the unique collection of limited-time offerings, enriching the whiskey experience.

Annually, the Exploration Series will unveil two unique expressions, each a testament to our dedication to breaking new ground in the whiskey world. Fueled by the restless and uncompromising spirit of our founder, Bob Dylan, we take inspiration from his ethos to continually challenge the status quo with new whiskeys, finishes, and staves.

The series’ debut is deeply rooted in French influence, with carefully incorporated elements of product, wood, and technique. Its foundation is comprised of Heaven’s Door’s award-winning Tennessee Straight Bourbon whiskey finished inside freshly dumped Calvados Brandy casks. We then introduce an additional layer of complexity through medium-heavy toasted French oak staves.

Calvados, an apple brandy from Normandy, France, matures for at least two years in the French oak casks before being filled with our Tennessee Bourbon. This imparts sought-after characteristics like fresh apple cider and baked apple brandy. Our new, medium heavy toasted French oak staves, sourced from Quercus Petraea trees, offer excellent aroma, medium ellagitannins, and high oxygen permeability. The heavy toast enhances baking notes associated with apples, including brown sugar, pastry, caramel, and biscuits.

The Exploration Series’ inaugural expression is aged for no less than 5 years, bottled at 108 proof, and has a $79.99 suggested retail price point, with an expected shipping date in December 2023.

Learn more about Exploration Series 1.

Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter received a sample of this product from the brand for review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.