Breaking Bourbon Award Winning Single Barrel Club picks are selected by Breaking Bourbon, and whenever possible with the help of Patreon supporters. The bottles are made available to Patreon supporters first by pledge tier. If any bottles remain after all supporters have had an opportunity to purchase, they are made available to the public on a first come, first served basis. Each barrel is sponsored by a retailer partner, who sells the bottles directly to end purchasers.

Retailer Partner: The Prime Barrel

Name: Angel’s Envy Port Finished Bourbon

Company: Bacardi Limited  

Distillery: Undisclosed Kentucky Distillery

Age: NAS

Proof: 108

Mashbill: 72% Corn, 18% Rye, 10% Malted Barley

Yield: 276 Bottles

Release Date: March 2023

Angel’s Envy was founded by Wes Henderson, son of late industry icon Lincoln Henderson. Before his passing in 2013, Lincoln worked selecting and blending whiskeys for Angel’s Envy. Angel’s Envy whiskeys made their first appearance in 2011 and we’ve seen three ongoing expressions so far: Cask Strength Bourbon Finished In Port Barrels, Bourbon Finished In Port Barrels, and Rye Finished In Rum Casks. In early 2015 the Angel’s Envy company was acquired by Bacardi Ltd, and in November of 2016 the company opened their Louisville Distilling Company location in downtown Louisville.

The Angel’s Envy private select program is relatively new, beginning in late 2020. Barrels are bottled between 100-110 proof, which is close to cask strength of approximately 120 proof, but not quite. This slight reduction in proof is potentially due to the fact that Angel’s Envy releases a limited edition Cask Strength release annually, and if single barrels were released at the same proof the lines between the two versions could easily be blurred.

With that in mind, the most interesting aspect of the barrel we selected is that it does not taste like previous editions of Angel’s Envy Cask Strength, which we have typically observed a very heavy (and arguably dominating) port finish influence.

Instead, the finished bourbon tastes like an amplified version of the standard product in all of the right ways. In fact, going back and reading Jordan’s review of the standard version a common thread is present - the standard version is good, it just lacks intensity and impact. This higher proof version brings the desired intensity, allowing the flavors to come forward with the intensity they really deserve. At the same time, it does not have the heavy port influence Angel’s Envy Cask Strength typically exhibits, instead leaning more towards the bourbon flavors with well-integrated accents from the port. It’s a great display of flavor and will satisfy anyone who likes Angel’s Envy Port Finished Bourbon, but wants a deeper intensity.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Sweet cinnamon bun | Syrup | Vanilla custard | Creme brulee | Spicy oak | Full & inviting

Palate: Integrated cinnamon/maple/oak | Raisin | Stewed fruit | Leather | Vibrant & full flavored | Delicious

Finish: Stewed cherries | Mild spice | Light custard on backend | Leather | Dry oak | Medium length

Well integrated overall, no single flavor dominates, really good at this proof point, well balanced with perfect intensity

Distillers, Producers, and Retailers: If you would like to be a part of this program and get your name in front of millions of bourbon enthusiasts, contact us.

‍Please note these bottles will not be sold by Breaking Bourbon, but will be sold by retailers we partner with in order to fulfill the orders and ship the bottles directly to Patreon supporters. Breaking Bourbon will receive no compensation from our partner retailers under these agreements (with the exception of a bottle from each barrel for editorial purposes). If you represent a retailer and ship to consumers and you’re interested in partnering just let us know!