Cherry juice | Brown sugar | Tobacco leaf | Charred oak | Hazelnut | Faint vanilla sprinkles | Light berry jam

Berry jelly | Dark chocolate | Dry oak | Peppercorn spice | Brown sugar | Cigar wrapper | Leather

Chewy oak | Hints of jelly-filled donuts | Dry cinnamon | Tobacco leaf | Peppercorn spice | Dry dark chocolate | Lingering

Louisville Distilling Company, the producer of Angel’s Envy, was co-founded by Wes Henderson and his father, Lincoln Henderson. Before his passing in 2013, Lincoln worked selecting and blending whiskeys for Angel’s Envy. In 2015, Angel’s Envy was acquired by Bacardi Limited. Later, in 2016, Angel’s Envy opened its distillery located in downtown Louisville. Despite distilling in-house, Angel’s Envy still sources some of its whiskey. In the fall of 2022, Angel's Envy appointed Owen Martin as the first master distiller since co-founder and Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson's passing in 2013. Notably, no Henderson currently works for the brand.

For the 13th release of their annual Cask Strength expression, the brand used two types of port barrels for their finishing. A tawny port wine finished bourbon was blended with the brand’s traditional ruby port wine finished bourbon. Additionally, the brand employed another first for this release, utilizing the Solera method, which they state “created a continuous aging process that ensures consistent flavor.” While the bourbon doesn’t have an age statement, the website states that the bourbon used in the blend is from 2016, which would make it approximately 8 years old. This is a national release, with 23,196 bottles being produced.

The influence of the two different types of port barrels is noticeable but subtle. They make their presence known but also don’t try to be the star of the show, instead imparting a nice dose of sweetness to an otherwise earthy flavor profile. The nose is well balanced and surprisingly doesn’t give away the high proof of the bourbon, while the palate starts sweet and morphs to dry earthy notes on the backend. There is a pop of sweetness on the finish, but in general, the finish is drier, focusing on its earthier aspect for a while as it lingers around. It’s a pleasing bourbon finish that’s neither too sweet or dry, instead providing a balanced sip for those who seek out port finished bourbons.