This Booze Squib proves that some whiskey is too good even for our “angels and ministers of grace.” (That was a Hamlet Squib.)
If you’ve ever visited a distillery, you know that you get a little less whiskey out of a barrel than you originally put into it for aging. That’s due to the evaporation process that deepens the flavor and heightens the alcohol content. Distillers romantically call that lost amount The Angel’s Share.
The terminology obviously inspired the name for this new Angel’s Envy Kentucky Bourbon from Lincoln Henderson. It is undeniably a craftsman whiskey, distilled in small batches and aged in eight to 12 barrels at a time.
Interestingly, the distillers insist there is no set time for their creation process. Bourbon, Scotch or Tequila distilleries usually set up their operation to market specifically aged products. You might reach for a bottle of less than one year aged Blanco tequila, a 12-year bottle of Bourbon or a rare 18 year old Scotch.
The folks behind Angel’s Envy insist there is no set aging period listed for their Bourbon because they decide it’s ready when they decide it’s ready. Period. Henderson, the Master Distiller, samples the aging whiskey from its ruby oak port casks and sets it free upon the Earth when he likes what he tastes.
I had the opportunity to sample the finished product, and it’s a smooth, low burn, easy aftertaste venture into civilized sipping whiskey. The distillers serve up recipes on their website, but I think this is a Bourbon to be enjoyed on its own. If you want to drop in a little ice to bruise it and open up the taste a little, that’s fair game.
The resulting Bourbon isn’t cheap, as is to be expected. This is not whiskey for rail drinks. But, with prices starting around $40 a bottle, Angel’s Envy is hardly unobtainable. Unless you’re a Cherubim or something. And I think they’re too young to drink anyway.
Fly responsibility, angels.
