As I have always said, I want to make sure I am upfront and honest with my reviews, especially when they are samples provided by a distillery. With that said, recently I was contacted by Heaven’s Door Distillery and asked if I would like to review two of their upcoming releases. Of course, like a kid in a candy store, I eagerly accepted and about three weeks ago the first sample arrived. I will admit, that when I started to do my research on this product before it arrived, I became very apprehensive of the bottle because of the proposed MSRP. Nonetheless, and regardless of price, I will always want to give a true review of the actual bourbon and then add a possible caveat of the price. Thus, today’s review is from the Heaven’s Door Distillery and is their upcoming annual Bootleg release Volume V: 18-Year Bourbon Finished in Spanish Vermouth Rouge Casks.

From the Heaven’s Door website: Heaven’s Door is pleased to announce the highly-anticipated annual Bootleg Series release for 2023. Bootleg Volume V is an exceptional 18-year-old straight bourbon whiskey secondarily finished in Spanish vermouth rouge casks.

The Bootleg Series offers rare and unreleased whiskeys with special blends and barrel finishes that showcase Heaven’s Door’s innovative approach to whiskey making. Each bottle is adorned with one of Dylan’s original paintings on a hand-crafted ceramic bottle and presented in a bespoke leather journal.

I am not sure how available this year’s release will be in NoCo, but I did spend some time visiting a few stores looking for the 2022 release. I was able to find a bottle of the 2021 Bootleg Volume III and 2022 Volume IV releases available at Wilbur’s Total Beverage Wine and Spirits in Fort Collins; both priced at $549. Overall, at the suggested MSRP, as I mentioned I was apprehensive coming into this review; but I will give it to Heaven’s Door as this is one absolutely amazing bourbon. The nose was divine sugar fruitiness, leading into a continued sweet citrus and fruit-forward palate, and ending in sweet oak and spice. You can taste the influence of the vermouth finishing barrels, but the oak from the 18-year-old bourbon balances this sweetness perfectly. With that said, let’s get our taste on!

• Nose: Citrus, Apple, Vanilla, Brown Sugar, Baking Spice, Raisin/Fig, and Oak
• Palate: Vanilla, Brown Sugar, Honey, Baking Spice, Citrus, Apple, Fig, Caramel, and Oak
• Finish: Medium to Long with Lingering Notes of Oak and Sweet Spicy Citrus Fruitness (i.e. Sweet Vermouth)
• 2023 MSRP: $599
• 2023 National Average: TBD
• Proof: 114 Proof
• My Rating: Save It! (Damn this is an amazing bourbon… but it is a very pricy bottle!)

Please remember, drinking bourbon is a personal adventure, so do not be afraid to drink it neat, with ice, or add some water. It’s your bourbon, you bought it, and you should enjoy it how you want to enjoy it!

Cheers! Prost! Sláinte!

Bourbon Bossman