Angel's Envy Bourbon

[SBOmarc]

I am ecstatic that it will be available in Pennsylvania. I am also amazed. The PALCB is not known for getting and stocking good bourbon. I look forward to tasting it.

Amazed doesn't even begin to describe it. Now will the people in side the PALCB be aware that it's on the shelf? Or is that too much to ask?

[callmeox]

Amazed doesn't even begin to describe it. Now will the people in side the PALCB be aware that it's on the shelf? Or is that too much to ask?

Unless the PALCB has changed their stocking philosophy, what is being pulled to make room for it? Will it be on the shelf or an SLO item only?

[SBOmarc]

Scott, take my word for it when I say that there is more than enough space on a PALCB shelf without removing anything. The thought of stocking to capacity is not in play here.

[callmeox]

Scott, take my word for it when I say that there is more than enough space on a PALCB shelf without removing anything. The thought of stocking to capacity is not in play here.

Not to derail this thread too, but I believe the PALCB philosophy is to stock their stores based on classification. "Regular" stores carry certain lines and Premium Collection stores have a greater selection. Their stores don't have a prototype floorplan like large retailers, so many decisions are based on a lowest common denominator approach.

When you see items on the discontinued list, they are likely being removed to "make room" for something else not necessarily in the same class.

With that said, I'm also surprised that a new product like Angels Envy was able to break into PA. It's a good sign, provided that my favorite store in Erie gets in on the action.

[cowdery]

Flock has always been explained to me as some amino acids in the whiskey that tend to become visible as cloudiness when the product gets cold. It's entirely cosmetic but retailers consider it a flaw and will complain and try to return the whiskey if it clouds up, even though the haze disappears at room temperature. Virtually all whiskeys are, therefore, chill-filtered before bottling to prevent flock and in most cases, the filtering medium contains a small amount of activated charcoal. For a long time, the industry maintained that chill filtering had no effect on taste or color, then they began to admit in the face of overwhelming evidence that it degrades color and flavor slightly. Booker's was the first major product to make a point of not chill filtering, however most people will tell you that anything bottled at 50% alcohol and above won't flock and, therefore, doesn't need to be chill filtered.

[conecuhridge]

Chill flocculation is entirely a cosmetic consideration. As Chuck mentioned, the floc disappears when the temperature of the spirit rises above freezing and when the bottle is shaken. This is usually not a problem with spirits bottled above 45% abv. The strike temperature for chill filtration (the point where floc appears) is generally 28 degrees F.

With younger bourbons, in the 4-6 year range, color and taste is an even more delicate balance, so any filtration can impact the final product in a more noticable way. Chill filtration has a reputation for causing more of a color and flavor loss than carbon treatment.

Circling back to Angel's Envy, I have now taken untreated samples down to -2 degrees F with no floc. To this point, for the next blend (this coming Tuesday), I am inclined to do no carbon treatment at all, and have managed to bring Dad around to this position. This is what I envisioned with the bourbon from the beginning.

We will still do plate and frame filtration to polish and remove any particulate from the port wine finish.

[Josh]

Again, thanks for posting Wes. I'm very very much looking foward to trying this!

[OscarV]

Here's an article from the Louisville Courier Journal about a tasting event of Angel's.

http://blogs.courier-journal.com/bou...ft-and-gentle/

[dbk]

Very educational, Wes and Chuck! Thanks very much.

Wes, I'm glad you convinced your dad to come around. It's always nice when the data are sufficiently convincing.

[cowdery]

Wes,

Could you please describe carbon treatment, because I think you're talking about something other than the activated charcoal that is sometimes included in the filter medium used in chill filtration, aren't you?

Did you treat the sample bottles you sent out?