Editor’s Note: This whiskey was provided to us as a free sample to review by the party behind it. The Whiskey Wash, while appreciative of this, did keep full independent editorial control over this article.
Angel’s Envy recently released their 2015 Cask Strength, a limited edition bottling of port barrel-finished bourbon. Response to the 2014 Angel’s Envy Cask Strength was mixed, with some reviewers loving it while others wondered what all the fuss was about, which made me particularly excited to try this year’s offering.
Bottled at 127.9 proof, the highest-ever proof for an Angel’s Envy product, this year’s bourbon was aged up to seven years before being blended and finished in port casks. Beyond that, Angel’s Envy doesn’t give many details about its mash bill or provenance.
Just 7,500 bottles were released in select markets – a limited number for sure, but an increase of 1,000 over last year. The price point is also rarified: suggested retail is about $170, but expect it to sell out fast wherever it actually makes it to store shelves.
Tasting notes:
Appearance: Rich chestnut without water, but considerably lighter once diluted down to ~80 proof. Thickly coats the inside of the glass.
Nose: Extremely aromatic, this is the kind of whiskey you can smell from across the room. The nose is strongly nutty, with toasted coconut and lots of caramel. The addition of water opens up a number of delightful sweeter notes like milk chocolate, rum raisin, and blackberry, with a nice structured backbone of leather and salt.
Palate: Without water, I found this hot and quite closed on the palate, with indistinct nutty and oily notes poking through the intense alcohol. With water, dark caramel notes emerge alongside nut brittle, Brazil nut, and lime. The finish is dry and herbaceous, somewhere between cola and herbal tincture, with a lovely lingering warmth.
Conclusion/Final Score:
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Not as rich or voluptuous as you might expect from a port finished bourbon, this is a direct and powerful spirit. It’s not “lean,” in the classic sense, but there’s nothing superfluous about it. Initially I wasn’t that impressed with Angel’s Envy Cask Strength, but after adding a bit of water and letting the spirit breathe for a few minutes, all its good qualities started to come into focus. At the high price point a bottle, this isn’t an impulse buy, but don’t pass up the opportunity to taste this one if it comes along.
Score: 90/100
[graphiq id=”iFQF7B6LM3z” title=”Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Overview ” width=”700″ height=”500″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/iFQF7B6LM3z” link=”https://whiskey.underthelabel.com/l/1186/Angel-s-Envy-Cask-Strength” link_text=”Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Overview | UnderTheLabel”]
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