For their first new release in six years, Angel’s Envy looked across the ocean to Spain. Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Oloroso Sherry Casks is 50 percent alcohol by volume and was aged between four and 9 years before resting in the aforementioned Oloroso sherry casks between two and three years.
“With our latest Angel’s Envy expression, we’ve taken inspiration from the Venenciador of Spain, whose exacting pull and pour of sherry is required to aerate the liquid in order to reveal its true character,” Wes Henderson, chief innovation officer and founder of Angel’s Envy, said in a statement. “We took a page from that book and chose to let this limited release rest for an extended finishing period in Oloroso sherry barrels, lengthening the oxidation process for a sophisticated level of flavor. We chose Oloroso sherry casks because we believed the nutty notes from the Oloroso sherry would pair well with our bourbon.”
On the nose, you’ll find caramel, raisins, and hazelnuts. The palate is dry, with vanilla, caramel, and oak; the finish is long and lingering with sweet floral notes.
While this all sounds great, there is a catch we need to warn you about. As with all limited-edition spirits, there’s not a lot of this stuff to go around. Only 3,600 bottles for sale and those bottles will only be available at the Angel’s Envy distillery in downtown Louisville in addition to a select number of retailers in the state of Kentucky.
“We chose Oloroso sherry casks because we believed the nutty notes from the Oloroso sherry would pair well with our bourbon.”
To try and get your hands on a bottle, you’re going to have to be a member of 500 Main, the Angel’s Envy loyalty platform. A limited number of bottle reservations will be made available on February 12. Then, on February 15, the remaining bottles will go on sale and surely sell out in only a few hours. The sale officially starts at 8 a.m. in the morning, but we’re going to take a shot in the dark and say people are going to be lining up a bit before that to try and snag a bottle.
If you’re a 500 Main member (you can sign up here), you’ll receive a special link for reservations. You’ll then be able to head over on February 15 to pick up your bottle, happily in your own line, separated from those that did not get a reservation or are simply hoping to snag a bottle of the limited edition whiskey.
If you do manage to find a bottle, it’ll set you back a cool $200. If that sounds like a lot, just be glad that you’re not one of the ones that are going to have to buy it on the secondary market.
Since you’ll be in Louisville to get a bottle, you might as well make a day of it. We’ve got plenty of options when it comes to bars and booze, but we also recommend checking out some killer Neapolitan pizza while you’re there, too.
