It’s a very big day for Angel’s Envy. Fresh off the wire, the brand just announced they will soon release their FIRST EVER NON FINISHED WHISKEY. Why does this matter?
Launched originally in 2014 by the legendary Lincoln Henderson and his son Wes (and their family), they are the house built on finishing. That is their DNA. Their bread ‘n butter. Not a spin off or side hustle limited edition. Their flagship from day 1 has been port finished Bourbon. They have been at the absolute forefront of finished whiskeys and doing a dang good job at it.
They will soon unveil their inaugural Cask Strength Bottled in Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The genuine article Bourbon with no finishing influence.
Quick Facts
- AGE: Nearly 6 years.
- PROOF: 100 proof (50% abv)
- MASHBILL: 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley
- RELEASE DATE: Friday, June 14th
- AVAILABLITY: Distillery ONLY (Louisville, KY)
- PRICE: $54.99 for 375ml
- VOLUME: 12,000 Bottles
- BOTTLED IN BOND
- CASK STRENGTH
- NO WATER ADDED
INTERESTING FACTOR: CASK STRENGTH – This new release unites the historic Bottled in Bond distinction with modern cask strength boldness through a lower barrel entry proof and meticulous blending by Master Distiller Owen Martin, artfully achieving exactly 100 proof. To me, a big X factor here is being bottled-in-bond at cask strength. I’m not sure there is another label out there that can claim this. And building on that, the absurdly low cask strength proof at 100. This means the liquid went into the barrel at a very low proof (no water added) which is a sign of high quality commitment in itself. Very normal in the industry to have liquid come off the still approaching the limit of 125 proof and into the barrel. This tactic reduces the number of barrels in inventory, which lowers production cost. Water can then be added before bottling to a lower proof. Water however is not the enemy, quite the opposite as those sugars lingering in the wood are more soluble in water vs alcohol. Extracting those sugars help provide those yummy vanilla and caramel notes.
What’s important here to realize, the whiskey wasn’t pulled from the barrel and diluted down to 100 proof. You’re getting the genuine article of liquid purity. For a brand that has been built on barrel finishing, this is pretty cool and certainly an extra step of higher quality implementation.
“In spring 2018, the team started with a lower barrel entry proof of 103 and placed our barrels in a cool, humid warehouse. Instead of withdrawing them at 100 proof, we let them mature further to prioritize flavor. We drew the barrels at 98-99 proof and blended 27 low-proof barrels with two high-proof barrels from the same season to reach exactly 100 proof, creating Cask Strength Bottled in Bond,” said Master Distiller Owen Martin. As the brand’s first-ever unfinished whiskey, ANGEL’S ENVY® is excited to continue its legacy of demonstrating how it can take a heritage-rich category and view it through a different lens to share truly unique whiskies.
TASTING NOTES (Brand Provided): Aged for nearly six years, the ANGEL’S ENVY® Cask Strength Bottled in Bond has a toasted gold appearance and comes in at 100 proof (50% ABV). The final bourbon presents lightly caramelized sugars and vanilla wafers on the nose with a hint of banana pudding while sweet and balanced on the palate with notes of honey latte, light fruit syrup, and toasted oak. Fading gently, the finish is rounded and soft.
ANGEL’S ENVY® Cask Strength Bottled in Bond will be available in 375ml bottles, with only 12,000 bottles available in this distillery series release. The bourbon will be priced at $54.99 and is only available for purchase at the ANGEL’S ENVY® Distillery, which is located at 500 E Main St, Louisville, KY 40202.
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The post NEW RELEASE: Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bottled in Bond Bourbon, FIRST EVER NON FINISHED WHISKEY first appeared on The Bourbon Review.