Heaven's Door

By Sakura Buker 

The O Street Museum in The O Street Mansion was host to a spirited evening as Heaven’s Door, the Ascension Kentucky Straight Bourbon created by the award-winning musician Bob Dylan, debuted surrounded by a few pieces of prized Dylan memorabilia, courtesy of the museum.

The O Street Museum in The Mansion, for anyone unfamiliar, boasts a wide collection of rare pop culture ephemera covering every inch of the over 100 rooms (including 80 secret rooms) that make up the elaborate mansion. Every wall, ceiling, and floor is covered in something new to discover, from Jim Henson’s original muppets to lifesize, Yellow Submarine-era Beatles cutouts.

For the uninitiated, Dylan is far more than a folk legend; he’s a living symbol of American reinvention. The Nobel Laureate in Literature, whose gravelly voice once became the national instrument of protest and poetry, has spent six decades shapeshifting—poet, painter, troubadour, iron sculptor, whiskey maker. His work has always blurred the line between craft and confession, rebellion and reflection. Heaven’s Door, in that sense, is simply another verse in a lifelong ballad of creation.

The bourbon tasting experience was held in a more spacious sitting room, though guests were welcome to explore the mansion before the event began. Alex Moore, master blender for Heaven’s Door Distillery, showcased and described each pour of the night. Reflecting on Bob Dylan’s role in the distillation process, Alex affirmed that bourbon-making, like the songwriting, painting, singing, and all other myriad creative pursuits of Dylan, is equally artistic in its creative process. Distilling is simply another outlet for his creativity. As classic Bob Dylan tunes filtered through the air, guests enjoyed samples of the specially made bourbon.

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