On the palate, it is clearly rye whiskey: barely spicy, appropriately grainy and familiarly minty and dill-y. Its texture is what’s distinctive: heat, tender and barely viscous, under no circumstances lean like many ryes.
BOTTLE DETAILS
STEVE’S NOTES
SHARE WITH: Any American whiskey followers–rye lovers particularly, on this case–who actually take pleasure in completed whiskies.
WORTH THE PRICE: Regardless of it being scrumptious (see under), $270 is somewhat steep for my finances.
BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bar. Grasp distiller Owen Martin’s mixing expertise are value experiencing.
OVERALL: Angel’s Envy has put an unimaginable quantity of labor into this creation (click on right here for deeper particulars), starting with the story behind it, the advertising and marketing effort and Martin’s mastery of cask ending. I do not recall as massive or coordinated a push for any prior AE launch, which says lots in regards to the model’s want to see it succeed.
Martin is understood among the many media for his dedication to discovering exceptionally high-quality secondary casks, “by no means simply one other barrel, or a special barrel to complete with,” as he usually says. He did not simply name one other Bacardi-owned model and say, “Ship me some used tequila barrels.” He went to Mexico, particularly to Patron Tequila, to pick its greatest French oak casks, that are used to age its Further Añejo tequila for 44 months. Martin needed that particular wooden’s spice and complexity, and any remaining tequila flavors contained inside.
In Louisville, he chosen aged MGPI rye shares (6.5 to 11 years) that blended properly on their very own and which he thought would profit from a protracted co-mingling (as much as 12 months) in these used Patron XA casks. What he bought was a rye mix with impeccable polish and manners; a whiskey with complexity from entrance to again, bereft of chew and deserving of lengthy, considerate sipping. (At a latest public tasting, there have been some decadent cocktails made utilizing this whiskey, however for me, that is greatest sipped neat.)
The nostril begins off with honey, golden raisins (should you’ve tasted sultanas, that is an excellent higher reference), crushed white grapes and confectioner’s sugar–aromas contributed by these French oak casks and the residual tequila inside them. This array of scents will maintain you nosing fortunately for a very good whereas.
On the palate, it is clearly rye whiskey: barely spicy, appropriately grainy and familiarly minty and dill-y. Its texture is what’s distinctive: heat, tender and barely viscous, under no circumstances lean like many ryes. Fruit notes virtually vibrate on the palate, particularly the candy, peppery flavors of freshly expressed orange and grapefruit peels. Initially, the honeyed end is comparatively quick, however every subsequent sip places down one other layer of French oak character, and its tannins dry the palate in a manner that claims, “Give me one other sip. Oh, and one other!”
This, just like the boldly blended rye Martin made for AE in 2023, is how cask-finished rye ought to style: firstly like itself, then with helpful accents. The wildly well-liked however polarizing Caribbean rum cask-finished AE rye was by no means my factor. It was too candy, too far faraway from the whiskey itself. In my view, nevertheless, this tequila-cask-finished rye provides a vastly completely different and superior expertise.
BRAND NOTES
With the daring expression of the straight rye whiskey and the distinctive additional añejo barrels, Angel’s Envy has created a outstanding addition to its Cellar Assortment Collection. Key particulars embrace:
- Innovation Course of: This distinctive expression begins with Straight Rye Whiskey aged as much as 7 years was completed in French Oak Further Añejo barrels for as much as 12 months, then blended with an older Straight Rye Whiskey, aged for over 11 years, to lock all the taste profile collectively right into a cohesive, but layered expertise
- Tasting Notes: Inside its golden caramel colour, the brand new Cellar Assortment expression is floral and fruit-forward on the nostril, with a toasty vanilla and refined clove smokiness. Flavors of baking spices and cracked pepper are tempered by natural agave syrup for an earthy tobacco and brown sugar style. The French oak end ensures the liquid is tender and balanced, with orange blossom honey and tropical fruits.
Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter obtained a pattern of this product from the model for evaluate. We respect their willingness to permit us to evaluate their merchandise with no strings hooked up. Thanks.
