Singer, songwriter, artist & now Kentucky bourbon maker: Bob Dylan moving his brand.
Heaven’s Door, the American whiskey co-created with singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, is moving to Kentucky.
Henry County zoning officials approved permit changes that will let small-scale craft operation Six-Mile Creek Distillery expand and partner with Heaven’s Door.
Heaven’s Door has released bourbon, rye and blended whiskey produced in Tennessee, with artwork on the bottles that echoes welded iron gates that Dylan creates in his studio, Black Buffalo Ironworks. Some bottles also feature his paintings.
The news was first reported by the Henry County Local news website. According to the site, the Henry County Board of Adjustments in late February voted to allow the distillery to expand from 1,200 barrels a year to up to 50,000.
A barrel warehouse on the property near Pleasureville will be turned into the site of a new industrial 36-inch column still, according to Jeff McKenzie, an attorney representing distillery owners Marc Bushala, Angel’s Envy founder, and property developer Damien Prather. In 2016, Prather originally announced plans to build a $5 million distillery and history park on Castle Highway (U.S. 421) for his Patriot Brands bourbon.
Bushala partnered with Ryan Perry, a whiskey developer at Diageo, and together they approached Dylan about collaborating on a line of American whiskeys, which was launched in 2018. They previously announced plans to establish a brand center in Nashville but that apparently has closed.
“I wanted to create a collection of American Whiskeys that, in their own way, tell a story. I’ve been traveling for decades, and I’ve been able to try some of the best whiskey spirits that the world has to offer. This is great whiskey,” Dylan said on the brand’s web site.
McKenzie told Henry County officials that the distillery plans to convert an existing building into a visitors center for tastings and small on-site concerts.
McKenzie could not be reached immediately for comment.
According to the Henry County newspaper, he told officials that Heaven’s Door whiskey will not be aged on site but instead the barrels will be moved to another location in Henry County.
According to McKenzie, Dylan toured the Henry County distillery, which also has a grist mill.
He said that the site will have another draw for potential bourbon tourists: “They’re looking at raising bison on some property,” said McKenzie.
This story was originally published March 9, 2023 at 10:07 AM.
