Angel's Envy Port Finish Review

“Liquid Panettone”

Country: USA

Brand: Angel's Envy Port Finish

Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Barrels. 

Age: NAS (4-6 Years)

ABV: 43,3 %

Sample Provided By: Derek, USA. Many Thanks!  

Date: 21/04/2014

Colour: Golden Amber

Nose: Sweet and at the same time slightly Sour because of the combination of familiar Bourbon aromas like Vanilla, Caramel, Corn Syrup, Oak, Brown Sugar, Nuts, Buttered Toast, Cinnamon, Mint, Tangerine or Orange and some Red Fruit like Grapes and Berries. I also get impressions of the Italian Sweet Bread called Panettone that is very popular here in Brazil at Christmas time. It is filled with Candied Fruits and Raisins. The Alcohol is not fully integrated. Good balance between American Oak and Port Pipe. The Port Finish certainly creates Aromas you wouldn't normally find in standard Bourbons.

Palate: The Red Wine influence is slightly stronger here but still not overly dominating. I also find Vanilla, Syrup, Caramel/Toffee, Oak, Brown Sugar and Spices like Cinnamon, Pepper and Nutmeg. A bit of Orange and Berries as well. 

Finish: Middle-Long and (slightly Bitter) Sweet with lightly Charred Oak, Vanilla, Corn Syrup, Orange Marmalade, Cinnamon, Pepper, Nutmeg, Mint and a soft Red Wine Note.

The Angel's Envy does not improve with added Water. In fact I believe a slightly higher ABV of around 47% would have greatly benefited this Bourbon.

Rating: 83.5

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21

Derek's Bottle and the Sample!

General Remarks: Angel's Envy is distilled/distributed by the Louisville Distilling Co. and was designed by the late Lincoln Henderson, the former Brown Forman Master Distiller and creator of Woodford Reserve. It matures in American White Oak Barrels for around 5 years before being finished for 3-6 months in Ex Port Wine Pipes. The packaging is certainly different from what we're used to. It sort of reminds me of a large bottle of Perfume. The sample I'm tasting today hails from Batch 3E, Bottle # 1708. The Port Finish sells at around 45 US Dollars.   

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: We should certainly give credit to the Distillers of Angel's Envy for experimenting with other Wood Sources for Finishing their Bourbon. There also exists a Rye whiskey with Rum Cask Finish from Louisville Distilling Co. Finishing has become quite common in the Scotch Whisky Industry but in the USA it's still the exception rather than the rule. The combination between American Oak and Port Pipes works well here. As a result the Angel's Envy is quite balanced on the Nose. On the Palate, the Red Wine influence becomes a tad stronger. All in all it's a pleasant and different kind of Bourbon. But I don't think Angel's Envy is sufficiently exciting. Would improve with a higher ABV in my opinion. Good Price/Quality Ratio though.

Jan van den Ende                                                                    April 2014

Noah's Mill 15 Years Review

Country: USA

Region: Kentucky

Brand: Noah's Mill

Type: Kentucky Bourbon

Age: 15 Years

ABV: 57.15%

Date: 07/12/2012

Colour: Dark Amber/Reddish Brown. Probably the darkest Whisky or Bourbon I've tasted so far.

Nose: Very strong Nose with Sweet Corn, (Charred) Oak, (Rye) Spices, Maple Syrup, Raisins, Brown Sugar, Toffee and Vanilla. Hints of Banana, Glue, Cherries and Peanut Butter. The Alcohol is quite present which was to be expected of course at over 57%. The Wood is very dominant and that's no surprise either after 15 years.

Taste: Strong and hot but still remarkably smooth. First impression is a Walk in the Forrest with Woody and Earthy Notes followed by Toffee, Vanilla, Maple Syrup, Rye, Cinnamon, Brown Sugar, Pepper, Red Fruit, Licorice and Mint.  

Finish: Middle-Long and Hot with Charred Oak, Brown Sugar, Pepper and Slightly Bitter Orange. 

I added a small tea-spoon of Water and that softens up the Nose and  brings the sweet components a bit more to the surface. Some Leather appears as well. Palate and Finish become quite smooth on the one hand but the Wood seems to become even more dominant. You can experiment with a bit of Water on the Nose but better sip it neat. My sample was too small to try it on Ice as well but I think that that might taste quite good!

Rating:  84 (out of 100)

Nose:  21.5 - Taste:  21- Finish:  20.5 - Overall: 21

There are those who think Noah's Mill is produced here!

General Remarks: The Noah's Mill 15 Years I review today is a Small Batch Bourbon. In this case it's Batch # 02-71, distilled on November 2nd, 1987 and bottled on November 1, 2002. This whiskey is bottled by KBD (Kentucky Bourbon Distillers) of Bardstown, Kentucky. Although they are now operating the Willett Distillery in Bardstown, these Bourbons will only be available to the market in a couple of years after maturation. But until now, KDB has been an independent bottler, quite common in Scotland but not so much so in the USA. They are bottling Bourbons a.o. under the following Brand Names: Willett, Noah's Mill, Johnny Drum and Rowan's Creek. Other than in Scotland however, KBD does not reveal where their Bourbons are distilled. Noah's Mill's Mash Bill consists of Corn, Rye and Wheat spirits. Recently the 15 Years was replaced by a Bourbon with age between 4 and 20 years. It's good to bear in mind that Small Batch Bottlings may vary significantly!

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: Noah's Mill is a quality Bourbon with a very powerful Nose that would have scored even higher if not for the abundance of Alcohol. I think this is the first time that I believe that a slightly lower ABV of say around 50% would have benefited the spirit. The Palate is hot and strong but still manages somehow to maintain a certain smoothness. The Wood is very dominant here and this is something you either like or don't. The Finish is decent but not spectacular. I recently reviewed the Knob Creek Small Batch 9 years Knob Creek Small Batch 9 and if you like that one, you can't go wrong with Noah's Mill. If you like your Bourbon soft, smooth and sweet however, Noah's Mill might not be your cup of tea!

Jan van den Ende                                                               December 2012