K&L Exclusive: Single-Cask Bourbon from a Renowned Kentucky Powerhouse – American Whiskey News
A K&L Exclusive Cask Debut from a Bourbon Powerhouse
Angel’s Envy “K&L Exclusive” Cask #2665 Private Select Port Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon (750ml) ($89.99)
“This is it! This is the profile we want from Angel’s Envy.”
— Andrew Whiteley, K&L Spirits Buyer
Our latest epic exclusive cask comes from one of the hottest names in arguably the hottest spirits category in the market right now. This Kentucky distiller has found a fanatical following over the last ten years for crafting some of the biggest, boldest whiskeys out there, so we were ready to jump at any chance to get our hands on an exclusive single cask. When we finally thought we had one, a mix-up at the distillery resulted something unexpected in the form of Cask #2665. While it’s not what we originally selected, it’s most likely better, so count this as a big win. And although it’s not technically cask proof, its quintessentially boisterous nature makes it drink like a bigger whiskey than it is. More importantly, it’s everything Angel’s Envy fans are looking for. As spirits buyer Andrew Whiteley notes, “It’s big, it’s sweet, it’s intensely concentrated, and most importantly for anything finished in port barrels, it’s clean.” Profound bourbon spices and maple character ring across the entire profile, and despite it being “only” 110 proof, a few drops of water bring out the full kaleidoscopic panoply of flavors and aromas, resulting in a whiskey that defies individual descriptors. Our first go at an Angel’s Envy cask had some real twists and turns, but the story ends with a most incredible (yet highly limited) bourbon that every collector will want to get their hands on.
K&L Notes: Mistakes happen. No one is immune. The real test comes down to what you do when you make one. Angel’s Envy showed the utmost in integrity after the mix-up here at K&L. Barrel #2665 is the glorious replacement for the infamous #4018 cask. If you weren’t involved from ordering one and the subsequent refund, you may not know, but #4018 was never supposed to enter the door at K&L—it wasn’t the type of cask we were looking for, and it most definitely wasn’t the cask we ordered. However, Angel’s Envy went out of their way to make things right. Unfortunately, our originally selected cask ended up in another store somewhere else in the country, so we weren’t able to get that one, but in the end things worked out in our (and our customers’) favor. Angel’s Envy rushed us an epic set of cask samples and scheduled a personal zoom with Kyle Henderson to walk through each barrel and make our selection. Despite all of the samples being superlatively good, cask #2665 stood out above the top-notch field. We bottled at the highest available ABV of 55% (they protect the cask-strength bottling for the highly limited official CS release), but in truth, it opens up dramatically with a few drops of water anyway, so be sure to add some!
Andrew Whiteley | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: June 10, 2022
This is it! This is the profile we want from Angel’s Envy. It’s big, it’s sweet, it’s intensely concentrated, and most importantly for anything finished in port barrels, it’s clean. Robust, but not a fruit bomb. The spice of the bourbon stands proud, helped along by the maxed-out (and just a few points shy of true cask strength) 110-proof bottling. While we fought hard to leave it at full proof, it just simply wasn’t in the cards. The nose is a bit dusty in that beautiful old Kentucky way. It’s almost gummy on the palate, like a hard candy chew, as red fruits shine through, especially cherries and plums. There is a sweet bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup profile that threads from start to finish. If you add a touch of water (and for all my kvetching about proof point, I recommend you do anyway), the oils come out beautifully, and the whiskey opens in dramatic fashion. It becomes an integrated whole rather than a bunch of individual tasting notes. It’s now something to pick apart sip by sip and enjoy pour after pour. All in all, we won out in this quest to get our “first” Angel’s Envy cask here by winding up with Cask #2665 on our shelves.
