Angel’s Envy Private Selection Shelf Review

Shelf Review

Designed to give you all the quick hit information you need when you’re standing in front of your local liquor store’s whisky shelf.

After years of waiting - it’s finally happened. Angel’s Envy finally capitulated to the growing chorus of bourbon fans asking for a single barrel program for AE’s famous port finished bourbon. The single barrel bourbon program finally began in late 2020 and focuses on capturing the essence of Angel’s Envy at high proof. This means that your local store or restaurant can select their own single barrel of Angel’s Envy goodness that is aged in new oak before being transferred to port wine casks for finishing. Will this be an easier and cheaper way to experience their yearly limited release Cask Strength expression? Let’s dive into this Coscto selected single barrel and find out if it’s worth the $99 price tag.

 Age: Non-Age Stated

ABV: 54.25%

Cask: Virgin oak then finished in Port wine casks

MSRP: $99

Distillery Name: Angels Envy

Review Date: 9/20/21

Nose: Wood dust, dark plums, fresh cut red fruits, and antique wood furniture. The nose opens up to more decadent dessert notes of berry compote, toasted caramel sugar, and a touch of cinnamon and clove. Excellent nose but that comes off a bit softer than you expect with the high proof.

Palate: Drier on the palate than the nose. The front palate begins dry with candy sweetness only appearing as it moves towards the middle of the tongue and the finish. The port influence is almost non-existent and seems covered up by the heat of the proof. With stronger tannic notes than I expected, butterscotch and corn dust flavors compete for attention. Mouthfeel is on the thinner side, with the big oak notes leaving the overall experience quite dry.  

Finish: The port cask influence finally shows through on the long finish. The fruity note found on the nose finally makes an appearance and blends in with more dried oak, baking spices, hazelnut and nutmeg.  

Score: 88

Would I buy again? Maybe my expectations were too high for the new Angel’s Envy Private Selections. Or maybe at $99 the price was too high. Either way, I left disappointed by this single barrel. Angel’s Envy normally hits it out of the park with limited releases, but sadly in the case of this single barrel, it felt more like a swing and a miss and about $20 too expensive. Don’t misunderstand me - this is a good bourbon. As with every single barrel, this could have just been a bad choice by Costco. But without the strong fruity port influence that’s made its bourbon famous, this deviates from what makes Angel’s Envy unique and instead steers itself straight into mainstream. But at this price, I expected something more than mainstream.