Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon Earns Top Honors, Second Release Planned
(Credit: Angel’s Envy)
(Based on an Angel’s Envy Press Release) Angel’s Envy Cask Strength was named the “best spirit in the world” on Paul Pacult’s “Top Spirits List” in the June 2013 edition of Spirit Journal. The brand tied for first with Highland Park 25-Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky (The Whiskey Reviewer gave this bourbon an A-grade, and called on Angel’s Envy to make more!). The annual round up reviews the “five star distillates from all major spirits categories we’ve tasted over the preceding year,” says Pacult. In an earlier review of Cask Strength, Pacult awarded the brand five stars (as he did with the Angel’s Envy bourbon port cask finish) – his highest recommendation – and noted, “this masterpiece deserves a sixth rating star.”
Pacult’s recent review says, “the port pipe aspect comes shining through right from the get-go on this supple, caramel-laden and pipe tobacco-like opening aroma. Concludes long, roasted, meaty, winey, bakery shop bittersweet and fudge-like. This is the American whiskey equivalent of the mythical Black Bowmore 1964 Sherry Oak Islay Single Malt.”
Released in November of 2012, Angel’s Envy Cask Strength sold out in weeks. Due to the scarcity of barrels necessary for the enhanced finishing process, the company only released 600 total bottles in Kentucky and Nashville, Tennessee. This November, the brand plans to release an additional 500 9-liter cases in select markets including Kentucky.
As with Angel’s Envy, the critically acclaimed super-premium bourbon of uncompromising character and quality, the Louisville Distilling Company gave Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson complete creative freedom to achieve a specific taste profile for Cask Strength. Using locally sourced grains and Kentucky limestone water, this expression was aged to the perfect level of richness and maturity in the few American white oak barrels that made the cut. Lincoln chose to blend those barrels into a single batch and age the bourbon in hand-selected port casks until he tasted a previously undiscovered sweet spot.
“Once in a blue moon, we find barrels with unique characteristics that we squirrel away for special things,” says Lincoln Henderson, Master Distiller, Angel’s Envy.
“The secondary maturation for Cask Strength is unchartered territory,” says Wes Henderson, Chief Operating Officer and Master Ambassador, Angel’s Envy. “We judge only a handful of barrels exceptional enough for this lengthy finishing process, which yields a rare and rich bourbon worth savoring.”
The suggested retail price for a 750ml bottle, which may vary by market, is $149. A remarkably complex bourbon at 121-proof and 60.5% alcohol by volume, Cask Strength is best enjoyed with just a bit of water to release the flavor nuances.
