Trade-Up Tuesday - Part 4

One of the hardest parts of this project was not telling everyone what I was planning. Only a select number of folks knew what I wanted to do. Also, each person I traded, I made it a point to explain the bottle(s) I received would be turned right around and traded out, just out of respect.

The two 1792 Single Barrel Selections brought quite the attention as I had anticipated. The offers flooded my inbox and it was tough to determine who’s I would go with. But after careful consideration, I felt this trade was the best for both parties and more in line for what I was working on. So the two 1792’s were moved for a Blood Oath Pact 7. It was the entire presentation so it also included the wooden box. As always, I made sure this was something the other party wouldn’t have any regrets trading. A smiling face and a great meetup proved there was no regret.

Recap: JTS Brown -> Buffalo Trace SiB Selection -> 2x Henry McKenna 10 Year -> 1792 SiB (SP) & 1792 BiB (SP) -> Blood Oath Pact 7

Heaven's Door - Decade Series Release 01 - Review

Stats

Heaven's Door

Decade Series - Release 01

Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Heaven's Door Distillery

Distilled in Tennessee

Aged 10 Years

100 Proof

Non-Chill Filtered (NCF)

Mash Bill: Undisclosed - High Rye

Retail Price: ~$80-90

Poured Neat in a Glencairn

Color: Dark Honey

Nose: Ripe Pear, Honey and Vanilla Wafers

Palate: Hard Caramel Candy, Chocolate Covered Toffee and an Oaky Spice

Finish: Sweet to Bold! A lasting viscous linger.

Overall: Celebrity-backed brands / spirits don't really appeal much to me but I was on board with Heaven's Door from the initial releases. "Heaven's Door is an award-winning collection of handcrafted American whiskeys co-created with iconic musician and artist, Bob Dylan. The perfect blend of art and craft, each bottle of Heaven's Door showcases Dylan's distinctive welded iron gates that he created in his studio, Black Buffalo Ironworks. The Heaven's Door portfolio is comprised of three core expressions, including Heaven's Door Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Heaven's Door Double Barrel Whiskey and Heaven's Door Straight Rye Whiskey finished in Vosges oak barrels."

A strong diversity of flavors won me over. It all began with the Double Barrel Whiskey in their core lineup. But I'm here to talk about the first release of the new 10 Year Decade Series. Ryan Perry, Heaven's Door Master Blender was kind enough to set aside part of his day to chat with me about the new Decade Series release. "Our 10-year Bourbon is the first in a trailblazing new collection of premium whiskeys from Heaven's Door, curated out of a true labor of dedication and patience over time. Years of maturation in our barrels has resulted in this ultra-premium expression." We had a great conversation of where Bourbon / Whiskey is at the moment and where we both see it in the near future. This release has Ryan and the team excited and also has me quite excited after having the opportunity to try it. (Thank you to the folks at Heaven's Door for this sample). As I mentioned, the taste of toffee, chocolate and caramel mixed with a decade's worth of barrel aging made a fan out of me. I won't lie, I did reserve a bottle when it becomes available from ReserveBar.com just to be sure I don't miss out on the full bottle.

Library Rating: 8.4 / 10

Rare Hare 1953 Anniversary Edition - Review

Stats

Rare Hare 1953 Anniversary Edition

Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Finished in XXO Cognac Casks

Playboy Spirits

Distilled by: Undisclosed

Aged 17 Years

111 Proof

Mash Bill: Undisclosed

Retail Price: ~$570

Limited to 1953 Bottles

Poured Neat in a Glencairn

Color: Amber

Nose: Caramel, Nutmeg, Dried Figs and Apricots

Palate: Spiced Fruit Forward, Slight Oak, Toasted Caramel and Cream

Finish: Medium to Long Linger. Viscous coating with hints of Baking Spices throughout

Overall: "Our tribute to the year Playboy was founded, '1953' is Rare Hare's inaugural product release. Bottled at 111 Proof in a luxury package, this 17-Year Aged Straight Bourbon whiskey was finished in XXO Cognac casks from the Champagne region of France. Because of the whiskey's rarity, only 1953 bottles were produced for the US market. Rare Hare's '1953' release embodies craftsmanship, sophistication and a passion of Playboy Spirits"

The XXO Cognac casks play a huge part in the flavor of this from start to finish. As much as I tried to pinpoint where I've tried the 17 Year Straight Bourbon, it was a lost cause with the dried/spiced fruits dancing around my palate. By no means am I upset that I couldn't pick out the source...it only sparks more of my curiosity. The drinkability of this pour is outstanding. One of the smoothest (yeah, I used "smooth") 111 proof pours I've ever had. This might be one of those bottles to consider bringing into your bar, or in my case your Library just for the conversation starter. It's not cheap by any means, but you can see the elegance and beauty in the bottle and package design. Give them a look here: https://www.rareharespirits.com/

This was certainly a treat. I appreciate the gesture from Playboy Spirits to have the opportunity to give this an honest review.

Library Rating: 8.3 / 10