BOTM 10/11: Angel's Envy

[fishnbowljoe]

Thanks to Flyfish for the reminder about posting the BOTM, and thanks to Chuckles for the suggestion.

Back to another "newer" bourbon this month. Angels Envy.

It's been a while since I've had this, but I'll try and give my thoughts as best as I can from memory. Short description this time around. In a nutshell, light and sweet. A little nut flavor is apparent, but the main flavor I remember is a floral/fruitiness that is easy on the palate. A great bourbon to pour on a hot summer day, or if you don't feel the need for something heavy or high proof.

Let's here what you have to say. Cheers y'all. Joe

[cbus]

I enjoy this bourbon, and I like the fact that more bourbon producers are experimenting with different kinds of finishes. That said, for the price I paid for a bottle of this, I was hoping for/expecting more flavor.

[moose]

Its not a bad bourbon at all, but the $45+ price tag around these parts is a little bit too much in my opinion. I feel more time in the port casks would do it well. I found it to be just slightly sweet, pretty smooth and overall enjoyable. I agree that it would make a better summer sipper than a winter warmer. I would be interested to see what more time in port casks would do to it, would certainly gain a richer color and perhaps more sweetness that usually isn't found in a bourbon.

[TomH]

Angel's Envy vats (I'm always reluctant to use the word blend because of negative connotations) port finished and non-port finished bourbon for their final release. It's the percentage used of each that determines the strength of the port finish. I've tasted the port finished at barrel strength and it has all the port you could possibly want. They have decided (probably for very valid marketing reasons) to release a milder port finish product. For myself, a agree with you that I would really enjoy a little (or even a lot) more port in the whiskey.

Its not a bad bourbon at all, but the $45+ price tag around these parts is a little bit too much in my opinion. I feel more time in the port casks would do it well. I found it to be just slightly sweet, pretty smooth and overall enjoyable. I agree that it would make a better summer sipper than a winter warmer. I would be interested to see what more time in port casks would do to it, would certainly gain a richer color and perhaps more sweetness that usually isn't found in a bourbon.

[Chuckles]

Thanks, Joe, for choosing Angel's Envy this month. As you know, I received a gift bottle a while back and was looking for an excuse to open it. So I did last night, and had a couple of pours, which went down easy in the summer-like evening here in Chicago, so I'll second your opinion of this as a nice summer sipper. I got a little sweet grape on the nose and tongue, and am not sure that I would want more of that. The bourbon behind the port finish seemed decent but not very complex. I tend to like my bourbon a bit older and at a higher proof. I do love the Angel's Envy finish, finding it lip-smacking good for several minutes after a taste. I smiled when I saw the (spoiler alert) logo and type "burned" into the cork, then wondered how much they were spending on the fancy bottle and the promotion and such. I love that master distiller Lincoln Henderson has the opportunity to cook up "expressions" like this, and look forward to his future endeavors. I'm glad I was able to enjoy this Angel's Envy (I had feared there might be a syrupy port sweetness that I would find distasteful), and I'm glad I received a bottle as a gift. Bottom line for me: It's good, but not great, and when I have $50 of my own to spend on a bottle, I'll be buying something else.

[White Dog]

I agree with most of you on this, and I think that Joe hit it on the head in the first post. More on the elegant side of things, and while there's nothing wrong with that, I feel it comes up a bit short on complexity. It was okay, but not compelling enough to buy again.

At Whisky Fest Chicago 2011, they had a higher proof version of AE that I tried. It was well into the tasting, and I had stopped taking notes at that point, but I do remember that one knocked me on my ass. Screaming good. Anyone know if that will be released at some point? Based on that bottling, it would seem to me that they released it at too low a proof.

Makes me wonder, could they sell more of a knock-out $75 cask strength bottling, rather than a so-so $50 bottling? Obviously they went the other way.

[jburlowski]

... Makes me wonder, could they sell more of a knock-out $75 cask strength bottling, rather than a so-so $50 bottling? Obviously they went the other way.

They're supposed to be coming out with a barrel-strength version by year end.

[Bourbon Boiler]

They're supposed to be coming out with a barrel-strength version by year end.

I've not tried any version, but from what I've read I think this would get my attention.

[fishnbowljoe]

They're supposed to be coming out with a barrel-strength version by year end.

Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmmm. I hope you're right John. Could be very interesting. Cheers! Joe

[jburlowski]

that's what Wes Henderson said a few months ago. Several folks here have sampled the BS version. I think it will happen... But the date may slip somewhat (depending on your location)