Review #11: Angel’s Envy Bourbon

Welcome to our Shelter in Bourbon series. You may not be able to go to your local watering hole, but at least you don’t have to be socially distant from your bottles. Today’s selection is Angel's Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Wine Barrels.

Intro

This weeks’ bourbon was gifted to us for Christmas and we were quite intrigued by what a bourbon finished in port wine barrels would taste like. Angel’s Envy prides itself on its perfectionism and dedication to craft so needless to say, we’re more than excited to give this one a try!

The Backstory

The idea to finish aged bourbon in port barrels had been something distiller, Lincoln Henderson, had always wanted to try. After the first batch was made he figured out that he had found something that tasted so smooth it was BETTER than what is known as the “angels share” and thus, Angel’s Envy was born. For anyone who is not yet familiar with the term “angels share” this is the roughly 5% of bourbon in the barrel lost each year to evaporation and the very reason barrel houses smell like sweet, sweet heaven.

It's a small batch bourbon with the good folks at Angel's Envy stating that each batch is hand blended consisting of 8 to 12 barrels at a time. It boasts an 86.6 proof (43.3% ABV). The bottle is a unique shape, and its tall slender figure stands out on the shelf. Turn it around and you find bottle-length wings, in the essence of something you might find as the end-product from a tattoo artist. Seems a bit much to us, but it is nevertheless overtly on brand.

Tasting Notes

According to Angel’s Envy: On the nose, you’ll detect notes of subtle vanilla, raisins, maple syrup, and toasted nuts. As you savor the first sip, you’ll taste vanilla, ripe fruit, maple syrup, toast, and bitter chocolate. The finish is clean and leaves a lingering sweetness with a hint of Madeira that slowly fades.

According to Him: This bourbon comes off very sweet on the nose to me. I get a bit of a hug on the back of the taste, almost like you have a taste and it comes back at the finish. I do get a sense of the toasted nuts and bitter chocolate, but the sweetness prevails throughout from nose to finish. Very smooth on the palette.

According to Her: This Angel’s Envy finished in port barrels is sweet on the nose with hints of brown sugar, maple syrup, and oak. This bourbon is light on the palette. The hug hits the back of the palette and heat builds just a touch. The finish is light, sweet, and smooth.

The Rating

This is a pretty solid bourbon. The tasting profile and backstory lends itself to a slow nightcap to help on wind down. It doesn't seem like a "life-of-the-party" bourbon, but that is ok.

3 out of 5 glasses: It's a solid add to ones collection. Middle shelf add. Off to the right, but we'd be willing to share with anyone wanting a taste.