Angel's Envy has announced their latest Cellar Collection release which is a rye whiskey finished in ice cedar casks. This is the first rye that is joining the Cellar Collection, which is their top shelf collection.
Kyle Henderson, Angel Envy's Distillery Production Manager says:The flavor profile of this whiskey is very unique – the spiciness of the rye is balanced by the fruity sweetness from the ice cider casks, and there’s a crispness that is really distinct. We’ve never seen a whiskey finished in ice cider casks before, so we’re excited to introduce this finish as part of our Cellar Collection. My brother, Andrew, was the one who found these barrels and raised the idea of an ice cider finish; he’s really championed this project from the beginning. As we tasted samples and learned more about the craftsmanship, time and resources required to create each bottle of ice cider, we fell in love with the product and the process and knew these special casks would be an excellent match for our rye.
This release is Angel's Evy 7-year rye whiskey finished in ice cider casks from Vermont-based Eden Specialty Ciders for a very specific 364 days. For more on ice cider....
Ice cider is a dessert-style cider that is produced primarily in the northern US and Canada. The French oak casks used to finish this ANGEL’S ENVY release were used by Eden Specialty Ciders to create an ice cider from tart, late-season Northern Spy apples that had been naturally cold-concentrated in Vermont before partial fermentation and aging.
There are a total of 6,000 bottles total. Additionally, Angel's Envy 500 Main members have the opportunity to enter a lottery for 1 of 500 bottles that have been allocated for pickup at the distillery. The lottery runs from today (February 15th) through 11:59 PM ET on February 17th. It's free to become an Angel's Envy 500 Main Member. You can learn more here.
Angel's Envy 2022 Cellar Collection carries an MSRP of $249.99 and comes in at 107-proof (53.5% alcohol). The bottles will be available for purchase beginning on February 25th at select retailers in NY, CA, FL, TN, IL, TX and KY, as well as at Angel's Envy's downtown Louisville distillery.
My TakeNotes of caramel candy apple and toasted oak, with faint notes of nuttiness and cinnamon. The palate features bold peppery and cinnamon notes accompanied by vanilla, ripe apple, toffee and butterscotch. The finish is long and transitions from spicy to sweet, with notes of brown sugar and apple with hints of earthiness and oak
It's unfortunate that this isn't going to be available in Ohio, but it shouldn't come as a surprise at this point. I find the finishing in the ice cider casks fascinating. I love the science behind different woods and aging techniques and everything that comes with it. As weird as it is for me to say about a bottle this expensive, I think I would buy this if I saw it at the distillery. It's a really cool idea and a neat story to tell when sharing the bourbon. The only question is how good is it and that's the real $249.99 question...