Heaven’s Door Ascension was the inaugural Kentucky Straight Bourbon for the Tennessee based company released in July, 2023 The bourbon is a blended bourbon of two non-chill filtered blends that are made in batches of 10 barrels or less.
The company is set to open their own distillery in the fall of 2024. Quietly under development since 2017, the distillery has been producing small batches of exceptional bourbon on its custom Vendome still since 2018. The Heaven’s Door Distillery features two separate still houses, each in its own towering western horse barn, a Visitor’s Center with tasting rooms and lounges overlooking the valley and Six Mile Creek, an eighteenth-century grist mill, two eighteenth-century cabins and a Moravian barn, all of which have been painstakingly restored.
Bourbon Review: Heaven’s Door Ascension
ABV: 46% (92 Proof)
Age: At Least 5 Years
Mash Bill #1: 76% Corn, 15% Rye, 9% Malted Barley
Mash Bill #2: 70% Corn, 25% Rye, 5% Malted Barley
Mash Bill #1 Distillery: Heaven’s Door Distillery
Location: Pleasureville, KY
Mash Billy #2 Distillery: Unknown
Bottled By: Heaven’s Door Spirts
Location: Memphis, Tennessee
The Nose: It’s almost sacrilegious to call on a Rolling Stones song to describe the nose on this bourbon, but brown sugar is the dominant aroma. There is a subtle waffle cone component as well with a touch of plums and a hint of apricots. Subsequents pulls see the addition of vanilla and oak.
The Taste: The first sip provides a dominant banana note mid sip that lingers well into the finish. Our second sip sees the banana note return with elements of brown sugar, cinnamon and a touch of honey. Additional sips see the addition of caramel with a lingering cinnamon finish.
Conclusion: As I completed my first sip, I stated out loud, “Wow, this is good.” It’s not often a bourbon elicits an audible statement to me but when it does I can’t help but admire the pour before me. On January 1, 2023, we reviewed Heaven’s Door Straight Bourbon Whiskey and gave is a 93 Rating. This release is even better and one of the better bourbons I have tasted in the last couple of years. If you see it, buy two bottles, because it is that good.
Score: 96
Price: $39.99 (750 ml in New Hampshire)
