Whiskey Review: Angels Envy

Angel's Envy.  What a name.  The words evoke a harp playing cherub looking down upon you, shining a light on your bottle and drooling.  Indeed, if anything can make an Angel envy you, bourbon would be it.  Even the bottle has the classic angel wing pattern on its back, much like the angel wing tattoos you find on people who are most definitely not.  On to the show.

I had seen this offering on several bar menus, but never really ventured to try it.  Then while sitting at a small bar in Picnic Restaurant at Playa Del Rey killing time, I started speaking with the lovely bartender, Jen, who was also a whiskey drinker herself.  She highly recommended Angel's Envy, and although a balked a bit at the $15 price tag per pour, I knew Jen would give me a healthy sized serving so I went for it.  What sold me though is she informed me that it was finished in port barrels.  That peaked my interest, and soon I tracked down a whole bottle for myself.  From the moment you get the bottle you can sense you are in for a treat, the unusual shape, the interesting name, and the hand written batch and bottle number label on the side.  The smell was assertive, including your usual bourbon suspects, but also a hit of something like pastries...with caramel.  I really have no precise way to describe it, but it smells good.  The first sip will start off almost sweet, definitely a tad caramelly, and then the classic bourbon flavors rush in, finishing with a slight but not overpowering burn.  Super.  Good.  I think this has a great blend of sweet, spicy, smooth and burn to appeal to most whiskey drinkers in one way or another.  There is definitely a uniqueness to the flavors. Just be careful though because this is what you get after you finish the bottle:

The numbers: This tends to go for a little more, usually around $55 to $65, I have seen it at Bevmo and Ralphs.  

It reminds me of...angels, duh.

The verdict: It is certainly on the high side in terms of price, especially for a domestic bottle.  However, it is worth it, especially if you have someone to impress or a special occasion. It is so unique that I would probably not mind spending the money just to have a bottle around the liquor cabinet at all times, just in case. 

Please comment below!  If you think there is something I must try or something you want me to review, toss it in the comments and I will see what I can do.

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Professional tasting notes:
TheWhiskeyJug.com
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