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Angel's Envy Cask Strength

Reviewed by some poor devil

4 661

@newreverieReview by @newreverie

15th Mar 2017

1

Angel's Envy Cask Strength
  • Nose
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  • Taste
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  • Finish
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  • Balance
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  • Overall
    61

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

I was a little surprised to find that AECS hasn't been reviewed on connosr. Yes it is nearly $200 per bottle, yes it is somewhat rare, yes bourbon finished in port barrels is (was?) controversial, but all of these things sound like a perfect mixture of qualities that would draw some discerning connosr to buy and review a bottle. I suppose that task has fallen to me. My bottle is the 2014 release, it is nearly empty and has been open for a little more than a year.

Nose: I've used a cover to concentrate the nose on this old bottle. Nose is as it should be with high quality bourbon and port notes. Diving deeper also brings out red delicious apples, fig preserves, cinnamon butter, caramel. There is also a hefty bit of alcohol once other notes settle down. It is significantly sweeter than a standard bourbon nose in a good way.

Taste: Surprisingly woody on first sip. My understanding is that standard AE is between 6-8yr bourbon finished for several months in port barrels. This version is definitely from older stock. Entry is hot and not in a way I enjoy. The heat does calm down after a few sips, but I'd rather not bother with it and add a few drops of water. This brings out more of the port flavors and caramel. When I first opened the bottle, this was a much sweeter bourbon with heavy caramel, cherry, and wine notes. Now it is over wooded with a burning mid palate.

Finish: Caramel and wood dominate, but the port barrels finally make an appearance. Thankfully the heat seems to calm down here, but there isn't any payoff for the trouble.

Balance: With the exception of the nose, the only balance here is that both the palate and finish are equally bad. It is shameful that this was bottled and more shameful that it is priced 3-4 times the standard bottling.

Final Thoughts: Compared to the standard AE, this is crap. I've never really enjoyed the 2014 batch, but I have had the 2015 and it was significantly better. As with most whiskey that commands a $200 price tag, this one does not possess the qualities needed to justify such an investment.

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6 comments

@GoodVintage
GoodVintage commented

That's disappointing to hear but good to know

7 years ago 0

@Victor
Victor commented

I never reviewed Angel's Envy Cask Strength because I never liked Angel's Envy, and certainly was not going to pay $ 200 blind for a CS version of something which I did not like. I might well have reviewed Angel's Envy CS if someone had given me a sample of it.

So far I have not reviewed standard Angel's Envy either, although I am about to. That avoidance of a review was mostly because I have never cared for it, and would not buy a bottle. My sister does have a bottle which I will review, though, and I do own an unopened bottle of Angel's Envy given to me as a gift. (People never seem to ask first what you like and don't like when they give you a bottle of whiskey, do they?) Who knows? Maybe I will have a startlingly different experience of Angel's Envy with these next two iterations.

7 years ago 0

@newreverie
newreverie commented

@Victor I think AE is best experienced served in a tumbler with a few cubes of ice. The chill and added water really help to bring out the port notes. Other than this review I cannot drink AECS neat. Over ice it becomes more pleasant, but it is still inferior to the standard bottle. Be sure to try it like this for your review.

7 years ago 0

@Nozinan
Nozinan commented

@newreverie

What I think @Victor is saying matches your typo, that in his opinion it should stay "interior to the standard bottle."

7 years ago 0

@newreverie
newreverie commented

@Nozinan what typo :)

7 years ago 0

Astroke commented

@newreverie Wow, was never on my Cask Strength want list but good to know.

7 years ago 0