I like some of the Heaven’s Door Series, so I was excited to get my hands on this Heaven’s Door Decade Series 10 Years for two reasons: who doesn’t enjoy trying 10+ yo whiskey and this one is labeled as Straight. No the source still isn’t disclosed, but we’ll talk about that in a second.
Look carefully at their previous releases and you’ll notice the word Straight is sometimes missing. This is because they used whiskey aged in both new and used oak. This is because the distillery they sourced from is owned by Diageo who tried to change the TN whiskey laws to include used cooperage. They were so sure of victory they made a bunch… and then lost.
You and I know there is only one owned by Diageo in TN so the source is pretty well known (Dickel), but that doesn’t mean they can’t branch out and source from TGD instead. Though when it comes to 10+ yo spirit, I’m not sure if the younger distiller-for-hire (MGP of TN) has enough of that yet.
Now, let’s get to drinkin’!
Heaven’s Door Decade Series Bourbon 10 Years – Details and Tasting Notes
Whiskey Details
Style: Bourbon (Straight)
Region: TN, USA
Distiller: Undisclosed (Likely George Dickel)
Mash Bill: At least 51% Corn + Rye + Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: 10 Years
ABV: 50%
Batch: 01
Heaven’s Door Decade Series Bourbon 10 Years Price: $100*
Related Whiskey
Heaven’s Door 10-year Tennessee Bourbon
Heaven’s Door Double Barrel Whiskey
Heaven’s Door Tennessee Bourbon
Heaven’s Door Rye Whiskey Review
George Dickel Single Barrel
Heaven’s Door Decade Series Bourbon 10 Years Tasting Notes
EYE
Caramel
NOSE
Caramel, oak, corn meal, vanilla wafers, baking spice, pastry notes and some light honey, citrus peel and corn notes.
A nice warm aroma that’s decently complex and interesting.
PALATE
Caramel, oak, corn meal, vanilla wafers, orange peel, dried orchard fruit, pastry sweetness with some honey and herbal spice.
Warm and complex, this is a flavor profile that keeps bringing me back.
FINISH
Medium-long -.> Oak, caramel, fruit and spice.
BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Well-balanced, medium-full body and a lightly oily feel.
Heaven’s Door Decade Series Bourbon 10 Years – Overall Thoughts and Score
Whiskey verdict: It’s good, quite good. Source verdict: I can’t quickly call it Dickel. I’ve been a Dickel fan for a long time. I’ve had many different indie bottles of it and it’s always been pretty easy to identify because it has a VERY unique profile… and I’m not getting that here. It could be TDG and if that’s the case… great.
Regardless, Heaven’s Door Decade Series 10 Years is good. Aroma and palate are complex and interesting and deliver a profile that glides through the senses. It’s sweet, earthy/rustic, warm and has a depth that keeps pulling me back. I’m gonna enjoy emptying this one.
*Disclosure: The bottle for this Tennessee Whiskey review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.
Heaven's Door Decade Series Bourbon 10 Years Review $100
Overall
- Nose
- Palate
- Finish
- BBF
User Review
( votes)( review)
Good not Great, source is an imposed mystery.
Good but I expected more from a 10 yo limited release. While it’s way better than the standard juice, it’s also overpriced at $100. I like Russell’s Reserve better and it goes for less than half, I just bought the RR on a 2/$50 special at my local. Kicking myself for not buying a case.
Anyway, by process of elimination, thew flavor profile strongly points to Prichard or Barton as the source.
Doubtful that it’s a Dickle product because of the high rye content and lack of heavy mineral/vitamin taste.
No m after, I find the finished stuff is better/more drinkable.
I’d reach for Russell’s pretty much anytime over most things, Cheers Nick!
My hunch is that this one comes from the small Prichard’s distillery opened in 1997. One of the key clues is that this bottle states it is “non-charcoal” filtered. The only distillery granted that permission to non-charcoal filter in TN seems to be Prichard’s, supposedly because the original Prichard’s distillery was operational before charcoal filtering was even a thing. They also happen to have sold bottles of “10 year straight bourbon” (retailed for $50 too, fyi).
I just opened my bottle and it’s definitely good for a solid, non-special occasion weekday pour. It’s just a touch thin to get it over the hurdle to being great. Reminds me a bit of the 10 yr Eagle Rare of yore.
Hey Bill, thanks for sharing, you have some good thoughts in there, but I’m not totally sure Prichard’s has enough 10 yo stock for a release like this and their own, but who knows. Side note, the non-charcoal filter deal only relates to using the Tennessee Whiskey naming and classification. If it’s labeled as a bourbon it doesn’t have to be charcoal filtered/use the Lincoln County Process. Which is why nothing from Belle Meade (Nelson’s) or Corsair uses it and is instead labeled as bourbon, rye, etc. but not Tennessee Whiskey.
Cheers!
I’m also confused about the source on this. The mash bill clearly doesn’t match Dickel. I feel like they went out of their way to include the rye content on the label as a nod and a wink to say “this isn’t George Dickel. “ And honestly it doesn’t have the vitamin note everyone calls out on Dickel. To me it tastes closer to a Barton product which it also obviously isn’t… Either way I enjoy it…
It could be the Tennessee Distilling Group (now Tennessee Distilling Ltd.). But this would be some early stock and they’ve been cranking stuff out for Uncle Nearest for a while so I’m a bit skeptical they have a ton of aged stock laying around to supply a release like this. But just because I’m a tad skeptical doesn’t mean it couldn’t be. They’ve been around long enough so maybe they bought up all their stocks of old whiskey and let it out. That’s what makes the most sense.
The only other distillery in TN that fits this spec and age is Belle Meade. They regularly put out single casks aged 10-12 years so they have the stock, but would they have enough they want to sell it off in bulk to Heaven’s Door? I dunno…
My bad. It says Tennessee right on the bottle. Not MGP. Tennessee Distilleries Group?
TGD = Tennessee Distillers Group, but they don’t have 10 yo stock like this yet. Has to be Dickel. Cheers Charles!
Can’t be Dickel. It says over 20% Rye. MGP is 21% rye. I can’t figure out who TGD is? Great poor. Great review. Cheers.