Even if you aren’t a fan of folk icon Bob Dylan, you’ll be familiar with his music. Such is the singer’s musical influence that there are few humans between the age of 8 months and 80 years that don’t know who he is. But having already (famously indifferently) dominated the musical world, Dylan has turned his attention away from songwriting and towards spirits.

The musician is launching his own line of whiskey, a brand called Heaven’s Door in reference to his 1973 song Knocking on Heaven’s Door. The company will produce a selection of bourbon, double-barrel whiskey and straight rye, all fittingly distilled in an old church in Tennessee.

Originally Dylan filed a trademark application for the brand ‘Bootleg Whiskey’ in 2015. It was a move that made Marc Bushala of Angel’s Envy (and lifelong Dylan fan) sit up and take notice. As a result he approached Dylan, convinced the musician that ‘Bootleg Whiskey’ wasn’t a premium enough name, and set about launching a spirit label with him.

Heaven’s Door will launch next month, consisting of three whiskeys – a straight rye, a straight bourbon and a double-barrelled whiskey. Dylan isn’t just the celebrity face to this spirit brand however, but rather a full partner in the business which has raised more than $US35 million from investors.

“We both wanted to create a collection of American whiskeys that, in their own way, tell a story,” Dylan told The New York Times of his new project. “I’ve been traveling for decades, and I’ve been able to try some of the best spirits that the world of whiskey has to offer. This is great whiskey.”

In typical Dylan fashion, the musician’s direction when it came to what he wanted in the drink could be confusing at times. “It should feel like being in a wood structure,” Dylan requested of the whiskey from Bushala. Luckily this just inspired Bushala to experiment with the batches.

“Dylan has these qualities that actually work well for a whiskey,” he comments. “He has great authenticity. He is a quintessential American. He does things the way he wants to do them. I think these are good attributes for a super-premium whiskey as well.”

Heaven’s Door retails between $US50 to $US80 per bottle. In ode to Dylan’s original name for the brand, the company will issue an annual Bootleg series in limited numbers that will be sold in ceramic bottles decorated with Dylan’s oil and watercolour paintings. The first (a 25-year-old whiskey) will be released next year and no doubt will become a collectable for both whiskey and folk fans alike.