Angel's Envy Review

The community reviews over on /r/bourbon have taken a back to basics turn for the last couple of installments so here we go again with a bottle I normally wouldn't have on hand. 

Angel's Envy started as the brainchild of former Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson. Up until recently they've been strictly using the sourcing model for their products but last year their distillery finally came online. It will be quite a few years before that distillate is of age so what we are tasting today was made elsewhere. Officially the source of Angel's Envy has never been confirmed but I've read that it's a blend of 6 year old bourbon from 3 different Kentucky distilleries. From that point, the bourbon is then aged in port wine casks for an additional few months which the most distinguishing feature of the brand.

No Age Statement; 43.3% ABV; Currently retails here at $47, this 100ml mini was $10

Nose: Popcorn, vanilla, light grapes, and typical bourbon charred oak. Smells like a standard young to moderately aged bourbon that's been finished in port barrels. The ethanol is a little overpowering consider the middling proof. 

Taste: A lot like the nose but with more grape port influence. It's like bourbon with a touch of grape soda added, or grape jelly and popcorn. It's pretty light on flavor with not a lot of body and a short finish. On the plus side, it's incredibly easy to drink and I can't help but think of the cringeworthy descriptor of "smooth".

Thoughts: As someone who is into bold, bash you in the face flavors and cask strength whiskey, I don't like this. I find it overly light and too rounded which I attribute both to the lowish proof and the port finishing. Having said that, this is probably a very good whiskey for a casual/novice drinker as it's very soft and easy to drink. Though it's not a very good value, for me when it comes to Angel's Envy, the limited edition cask strength version is the way to go.

Rating: D+

Note that price is not considered when assigning a rating.

Angel's Envy Cask Strength 2013 Review

After reading about how the 2012 Angels Envy Cask Strength won whiskey of the year in Spirit Journal, I was super excited to get my hands on one of these. The 2012 was very limited (only 600 bottles) but the 2013 was a little easier to find.

Batch 2C, Bottle #2915; 61.5% ABV; No Age Statement; $160

The nose has lots of fruit like cherry and grapes as well as intense vanilla. There is mild, and I really mean mild, wood/oak. For being a cask strength at 123 proof, the heat vapor is very subdued. The taste has lots more of the nose flavors… cherry for days, grapes, sweet fruit sugar, vanilla. Incredibly rich, almost like cake. It is incredibly smooth for 120 proof. The port cask finish has worked miracles here. The finish is also very smooth with minimal barrel char. Again, the port cask aging is really shining in the finish. 

This was one of the first special releases of 2013 I tried and still remains one of the best from that year. The only thing negative I can say about it is that the price tag is on the high side for what it is. Some of the cost can be attributed to presentation though - the included wooden case is very elegant. If you are looking for a very sweet bourbon with a very masked high proof, this one is for you. 

Rating: A