“At the end of the day … 31 Lengths is more about having a conversation piece and being associated with and reveling in something historic,” Smith said. Whiskey and history such as horse racing are about “capturing the moment and having fun.”
Precision and intent is what master distiller Owen Martin has brought to Angel’s Envy whiskies. Over the past few years, he’s refined, sharpened and made them uniform in ways that yield them predictably delicious.
This wood and barrel toast strategy drives powerful flavors and aromas. The nose is surprisingly vibrant for its 107 proof. The whiskeys’ 9 to 10 year age range emboldens the nose considerably with bruleed sugar, warm brownies, charred oak and overripe apples.
Calling it “just another 10 year old bourbon” also is an understatement. This is a bold and beautiful cask strength pour that shows its maturity and complexity right from the opening. Most whiskies of this age need a little room to stretch out in the glass, but not this one.
Since Maker’s makes no bad whiskey, what’s in the bottle is good sipping whiskey. Not a fault with it. But I prefer the two others in the Wood Finishing Series, The Keepers and The Heart, better.
The palate is delightfully sweet, candied even, with bubble gum, mint, lemon and orange rinds and white pepper roaming about and stalking your tastebuds. Along with its pleasant proof-warmth come bright, vibrantly fruity flavors that shift between tropical and stone fruits.
The Tamworth Apple Brandy’s nose starts off with toasted oak, cedar, cinnamon and some discernible fruit. The palate fares better with light fruit, elegant body and a long and lingering finish. But there’s nothing about it that screams apple brandy. Am I wrong to want that?
This is neither a showy whiskey with cask-finished flavor vectors nor a particularly powerful pour. It’s an honest, approachable, full-bodied bourbon that makes old school drinkers say, “Now that’s bourbon!” It’s the kind of whiskey Booker Noe liked and wanted to share with others.
What made this brand believe that this liquid was special at all, much less so great that anyone slapped $2,300 price tag on it? Age and rarity? Both only go so far because often, overaged sprits become “rare: when someone figures out they should never go into a bottle on their own.
Once the liquid eased below the shoulders of that glass Old Grand Dad-style bottle, it did come round and begin waking up. Dark stone fruits appeared on the nose, along with white pepper, cigar leaf, oak and flamed citrus.
