Stands Out

Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Barrels
2015 Release
63.45% ABV
$169.99
Website

What the Bottler Says:
Ranked the “Best Spirit in the World” by Spirit Journal, Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon Finished in Port Barrels is unlike any whiskey you’ve ever tried. Angel’s Envy is releasing fewer than 8,000 bottles of our award winning Cask Strength this year, so don’t miss your chance to pick up a bottle or two of this rare and delicious spirit.

Perfection is a patient man’s game. So we waited until Angel’s Envy reached the perfect level of maturity. We judge only a handful of barrels exceptional enough for our lengthy finishing process. The result? Even at 127.9 proof—our highest ever—every sip is worth savoring. A remarkably complex and unfiltered spirit, we suggest you enjoy it neat or with just a splash of water to release the flavor nuances, and perhaps with a few friends who appreciate outstanding whiskey. Angel’s Envy Cask Strength was worth waiting for, not it’s worth sharing.

Appearance: Rich gold with an amber depth.
Nose: Heavy caramel with vanilla up front, followed by roasted almonds, orange peel citrus and faint blueberry.
Palate: Pound cake, root beer, candy corn, honey, then tart strawberries, blackberries, figs, slight black pepper on the finish.
Finish: Less port forward than previous years, but while the port finish is distinct, the bourbon itself shines through the finish.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Comfy leather chair (where someone had smoked a pipe with vanilla tobacco the night before), rich fermented fruit (peaches, plums), bit of maple syrup.
Palate: Delicious – warm (maybe a tad hot?), nice port sweetness but with some kick, dark rich cherries, apricot jam on toast, hints of toffee and caramel.
Finish: Moderate to long, lingers nicely before drying out.
Comments: I’m a fan of the cask strength offering for sure. I think if you like Angel’s Envy, this is more than that at cask strength – I get a bit more port influence. It takes water rather well, and is one of those pours I could sip and think about for a long time, or just sit back and savor mindlessly. If it were priced at around half of what it is (which would put it on par with other limited editions, like Four Roses Small Back LEs, or Buffalo Trace’s Antique Collection), I’d be a customer. At the current price point – while I really like drinking it – there are other options I’d go for.
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says:
Nose: The rich savoriness of fortified wine overlays the burnt sugar and vanilla notes of the bourbon.
Palate: Angel’s Envy kicked up times 10. Dark fruit, sweet and savory candies, with hints of allspice and cloves. Vanilla lays over the whole thing in a lovely well balanced way.
Finish: Even at cask strength this finishes easy. With a little water the port notes play with the peppery spice and make this really enjoyable.
Comments: Elijah Craig 12 Year: $30 to $35. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof: $50 to $55. With Eagle Rare to Stagg Jr. you see about the same thing. I enjoy Angel’s Envy and I think the cask strength releases are great but damn they want to charge too much. Instead of a modest increase for the cask strength version they charge about 3 1/2 to 4 times the price. That’s just silly to me. This is stellar $75 bottle of bourbon. Nearing $200 I can’t recommend buying it. But hey, somebody will buy it.
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to thank Angel’s Envy for sending over a sample for review.

1792 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Barrels
44.45% ABV
$40
Website

What the Distiller Says:
The marriage of expertly crafted bourbon whiskey and port wine barrels join together to create this distinct bourbon. 1792 Port Finish Bourbon delivers an elegant flavor profile like no other. This bourbon was aged for many years in new white oak barrels before spending another two years extracting the subtle, yet sweet flavors from port wine barrels. The rich vanilla characters of American oak mingle with the delicate fruit notes from port to create this magnificent whiskey.

Tasting Notes
A rich aroma of apple and fruit mingling with noticeable vanilla. The taste is soft, yet balanced. Filled with toasted caramel, jam-like fruit, and a touch of licorice. A clean, somewhat lingering finish completes the taste.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Port-prominent; rich and heavy stewed fruit sweetness.
Palate: Dark flavor with port-sweetness dominating the bourbon a bit; the rye spice speaks up near the end.
Finish: Lingers nicely.
Comments: If you like port and port-finished whiskies, I think you will probably enjoy this. On my first tasting, I thought it was a nice balance between the bourbon and port influence – but on later tastings; I found the port influence a bit heavier than I prefer. I’d love to see this with a bit less port with more of the bourbon spice showing up, but I still applaud Barton for trying some new things. Priced just below (at least here in Atlanta) Angel’s Envy – a similar port-finished bourbon – it might be the least expensive way to find out if you like port finished bourbon – but I would recommend finding this on premise to try first.
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says:
Nose: Heavy port forward nose with lots of dark jammy fruits.
Palate: The port is really heavy handed on the palate. It kind of beats the Barton bourbon down into submission. It’s really more like a high octane port than a bourbon.
Finish: Slow transition from sweet port to a slightly spicy bourbon.
Comments: Bad? No, if like you port then this is a very tasty drink. I think the two years in port barrels was too much and the port is overly dominant. You don’t have the same nice interplay as Angel’s Envy, Midwinter Night’s Dram, or a nice port finished scotch. Personally, I really like port so I find this enjoyable but if you don’t like port you aren’t going to like this.
Rating: Stands Out

Rhetoric Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 21 Years
45.1% ABV
$110
Website

What the Bottler Says:
An experiment in maturation, Rhetoric is re-released annually to explore the flavor characteristics imparted by each additional year the bourbon spends in wood, allowing for side-by-side comparisons. Aged in charred American oak barrels for one year longer than last year’s 20-Year-Old release, this rich, complex bourbon represents an exciting evolution in the progressively aged Rhetoric series. Throughout the process, the base Rhetoric liquid remains unchanged, with progressive aging expected to continue through the release of Rhetoric 25-Year-Old in 2019.

The Orphan Barrel Whiskey Distilling Company was created in 2014 to find and share forgotten barrels of whiskey with discerning adult fans, who are encouraged to sip responsibly. Rhetoric 21-Year-Old follows five previous Orphan Barrel bourbons: Barterhouse (20-Year-Old), Old Blowhard (26-Year-Old), Rhetoric (20-Year-Old), Lost Prophet (22-Year-Old) and Forged Oak (15-Year-Old).

Rhetoric stocks were found at the Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Louisville, Ky. The bourbon was distilled in 1993 at the Bernheim Distillery historically located at 17th and Breckenridge in Louisville, Ky., while owned and operated by United Distillers. Rhetoric 21-Year-Old is hand bottled in Tullahoma, Tenn.

“The progressive aging experiment we’re employing with the Rhetoric series is incredibly unique,” said Ewan Morgan, Master of Whiskey for DIAGEO. “We’re going to be able to compare a line of bourbons side-by-side to see how aspects of the liquid – color, aroma, flavors and mouthfeel – are impacted by extra time spent in the barrel. Like many others, I’m looking forward to tasting what one extra year in the barrel does to these bourbons over the coming years.”

Compared to last year’s release, Rhetoric 21-Year-Old is richer and more complex, with a fuller mouthfeel and slightly higher proof of 90.2 (45.1% ABV). Aromas of cherry, sweet tobacco, honey and leather build upon the oak, fruit, vanilla and caramel of Rhetoric 20-Year-Old. New tasting notes of sweet tobacco, dark chocolate, baking spices and honey complement the charred wood, caramel, vanilla and black pepper spice of Rhetoric 20-Year-Old.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Big oak; the charred bottom of freshly baked spice cookies.
Palate: Less wood than the nose telegraphed, rich sweetness; burnt caramel, ginger snaps, molasses.
Finish: Long, but fairly dry.
Comments: After trying a few times, I did a comparison with the previous year’s release of Rhetoric 20 yr, and found them quite similar. This has a nice, rich mouthfeel at the front of the palate, and then dries out through the finish. 21 yrs is a long time in a barrel, and while there is heavy oak influence, it isn’t what I would call over-oaked. The Rhetoric 20yr was the first Orphan Barrel release I purchased, as I was intrigued by the opportunity to sample whiskey that was distilled at or about the same time over a series of releases. I wouldn’t say there was zero difference between the 20 and 21 yr, but it is very subtle – which isn’t a big surprise (many believe most of the wood influence takes place early on).
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says:
Nose: Rich, deep tones of caramel, cinnamon, cherry, and polished leather.
Palate: The palate comes on more slow and muted than the nose. Cherry candies, vanilla extract,
Finish: Medium length going from a chewy sweetness into deep, slightly spicy oak.
Comments: Old and woody with more on the nose than the palate delivers. You’ve probably heard this story before about 20 plus year bourbons and it’s kind of the same here. This should’ve gone to bottle a few years earlier. It’s kind of scary to think they are continuing to age it for later releases.
Rating: Stands Out