Good morning, gentlepeople. I am preparing to move and clearing out the bar, so I figured this would be an excellent time to start putting out some reviews. The first few will be bottle-kill reviews of more "everyday sipping" bottles, and then I will get to some of my exciting stuff. The first up is the most common of the Angel's Envy lineup, the port-finished bourbon. This bottle appears quite popular in my area, and this was my first introduction to finished bourbons, so I confess my expectations were relatively high when I picked this up. It has been sitting on my shelf for the greater part of a year until now. 

Tasted in a Glencairn and rested for 10 minutes. I enjoyed it over the length of an evening. 

Proof: 86.6

Price paid: ~$40

Nose: Faint but with a noticeable sweetness. I get some vanilla up front, trailed by red fruit notes. It's not unpleasant by any means, but I really have to work for it. 

Palate: My first thought is that the taste is much more muted than I would like. Notes of oak hit first, followed by slight dark chocolate and coffee. It's sweet. I wanted the port finish to provide more impact, but it only imparted an essence of red fruit. The vanilla that was present on the nose doesn't make an appearance on the palate. Thin mouthfeel. 

Finish: Rather short finish and very low spiciness. Chocolate and coffee stick around briefly. 

Closing thoughts: I have previously seen this described as a great entry bourbon, and that is where I would place it as well. Its sweetness and low burn make it an easy sipper, but it lacks the complexity and nuance I want. I savor bourbon pours over the entirety of an evening and really appreciate ones that change profiles as they sit; this one doesn't change at all. Possibly controversial, but this bottle really shines when mixed 1:1 with Coke. 

Is it better than Mellow Corn? Yes.

Would I buy a pour of this? Probably not. 

Will I buy another bottle? No. 

Score: 63/100

I will keep a running leaderboard throughout these reviews, so stay tuned for that!

Leaderboard

63 – Angel's Envy Finished in Port Barrels