Heaven's Door The Bootleg Series Volume V
Heaven's Door The Bootleg Series Volume V is an 18-year-old straight bourbon bottled at 114 proof (57% ABV) and finished in Spanish vermouth rouge casks — the fifth release in Heaven's Door's annual Bootleg Series, issued in 2023 as a 750mL limited edition in a hand-crafted ceramic bottle bearing a Bob Dylan original painting, presented with a numbered leather journal. It's available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 57% (114 proof)
- Age: 18 years, straight bourbon
- Finish: Spanish vermouth rouge (fortified wine) casks
- Size: 750mL (documented US release)
- Release: 2023; fifth annual Bootleg Series release; sourced whiskey, distillery undisclosed
- Packaging: ceramic bottle with Dylan's "No Vacancies" (2019) painting + numbered leather journal
- Ratings: 92 Breaking Bourbon, 92 Drinkhacker, 91 The Daily Pour aggregate
Vermouth Casks Meet 18-Year-Old Bourbon
The Bootleg Series is Heaven's Door's yearly showcase for rare and unreleased whiskeys with unusual barrel finishes — and Volume V is its most audacious yet. Master Blender Alex Moore worked with specialists from Speyside and Tonnellerie Radoux to source Spanish vermouth rouge casks, a finishing wood almost unheard of in American bourbon. The choice is a nod to cocktail culture itself: vermouth has lived in whiskey drinks since the Manhattan was invented, and here it meets the whiskey directly. The result is a deep-red-tinged bourbon with a layer of botanical, spiced-wine complexity over 18 years of oak maturity.
Heaven's Door was co-founded by Bob Dylan, and the Bootleg Series bottles double as art objects — Volume V wears Dylan's 2019 painting "No Vacancies" from The Beaten Path collection. With a 2023 release and an MSRP near $600, this is firmly collector territory, and the 114-proof bottling keeps every bit of the cask character intact. Browse more from the brand at Heaven's Door.
Tasting Notes
Master Distiller Ken Pierce describes a rich, complex aroma with subtle vanilla undertones, dark fruit notes, and hints of allspice. The palate is balanced and generous — caramel, honey, and vanilla carried on the vermouth cask's spiced-wine depth — with a finish the brand calls clean, pleasant, and lingering. Reviewers landed in the low 90s across the board, praising the harmony between the mature bourbon base and the exotic finish.
How to Enjoy
Pour it neat in a Glencairn to catch the vermouth-cask spice before it opens up, or take it with a single large cube. Given the finish, Volume V makes a fascinating Manhattan variant — a bourbon that already carries vermouth character needs only bitters to complete the thought. This is a bottle to savor slowly and, frankly, to keep: the ceramic Dylan-art decanter and numbered journal make it as much a display piece as a pour.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Heaven's Door Bootleg Series?
An annual limited release from Heaven's Door (launched 2019) built around rare, unreleased whiskeys with special blends and barrel finishes — each volume is a one-time bottling.
What does a vermouth cask finish taste like?
Spanish vermouth rouge is a fortified wine flavored with caramel, botanicals, and spices; in Volume V it adds dark-fruit and baking-spice depth on top of the bourbon's caramel and vanilla.
Is this whiskey from Heaven's Door's own distillery?
No — the 18-year-old bourbon was sourced from an undisclosed distillery and predates the opening of Heaven's Door's Pleasureville, Kentucky distillery in spring 2024.
How old is Bootleg Series Volume V?
18 years old, finished in Spanish vermouth rouge casks, bottled at 114 proof.
Collectors and bourbon devotees can order Heaven's Door Bootleg Series Volume V online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — once the 2023 release is gone, it's gone for good.