Heaven's Door Spirits, which produces Bob Dylan's ever-evolving collection of American whiskeys, announced the release of its Bootleg Series Vol II.
Named in tribute to Bob Dylan's famed series of eponymous retrospective album collections, The Bootleg Series is a limited-edition collection of rare whiskeys and special blends. With fewer than 3,000 bottles offered, the 2019 inaugural release of The Bootleg Series (Vol I), received The Chairman's Trophy and was named to the Top 100 Spirits at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2020 and sold out immediately upon release.
The 2020 Bootleg Series offering features a cask strength 15 year-old Straight Bourbon finished in 30 year-old Jamaican Pot Still Rum Casks. The Bootleg Series Vol II comes in a handmade ceramic bottle featuring Bob Dylan's painting, Sunset, Monument Valley, and is housed in an ornate leather journal that is individually numbered.
"The inaugural release of The Bootleg Series (Vol I) was a 26 year-old whiskey finished in Japanese Mizunara oak casks. It was a really special rare whiskey and set a high bar for future Bootleg releases," said Marc Bushala, CEO of Heaven's Door Spirits.
Heaven's Door Master Blender, Ryan Perry, rose to the challenge. "After nearly two years of experimentation with different blends and barrel finishes, we have created an incredible whiskey for the Bootleg Series Vol II" Perry said. "I was intrigued by the idea of using Jamaican pot still rum casks to imbue the 15 year-old cask strength whiskey with a soft, round and lasting finish that is distinctive and complex." After nearly a year in the rum barrels, the whiskey yielded "hints of maple syrup on the nose, notes of toasted coconut, holiday spice, and toasted oak on the finish," said Perry.
In addition to his renowned music career, Bob Dylan is also an accomplished painter and sculptor. The New York Times critic Marisha Pessl wrote, "He is that rare person who can move effortlessly between music, word, ink, paint… he reflects life back to us with a truth and simplicity that defy words". The painting that adorns Bootleg Series Vol II, Sunset, Monument Valley, was recently featured in Bob Dylan's Retrospectrum at the Modern Art Museum in Shanghai, China, along with more than 250 of Bob Dylan's artworks in an array of media.
With fewer than 3,000 bottles for sale at a suggested retail price of $499.99, Bootleg Series Vol II is now available for pre-order on ReserveBar.com, and will be available in select retailers in early November.
The Heaven's Door portfolio of award-winning whiskeys includes Straight Bourbon Whiskey (92 proof, $49.99 SRP), Double Barrel Whiskey (100 proof, $49.99 SRP), and Straight Rye Whiskey finished in cigar barrels from Vosges, France (92 proof, $79.99 SRP). Heaven's Door is the perfect melding of art and craft, as each bottle features co-creator Bob Dylan's unique ironwork sculptures.