Angel’s Envy Private Selection – Southern Beverage

I’d been eager to try an Angel’s Envy private selection since their barrel program first launched. After a chance encounter at a newly opened liquor store in Georgia, that box was quickly checked. But does the additional proof and single barrel status warrant an $89 price tag?

Pour: Angel’s Envy Private Selection b. JB-682C
Proof: 104.9
Age: not stated
Color: dense copper
Nose: toasted caramel, “porty” jam, bubblegum
Taste: singed toffee, maple syrup, charred oak
Finish: moderately long w/ molasses, dry spice, leather

Overall: While this Angel’s Envy selection offers significant depth over the standard 86.8-proof offering, it’s a bit concentrated, or “tight.” The finish leans dry and the profile notes fight for space. Thankfully, a few drops of water remedies this.

Rating: H2OK

Belle Meade Honey Cask Bourbon

I’ll just kick in the door – Belle Meade Honey Cask isn’t worth the insane secondary prices folks are paying for it. It’s just not. It’s well-aged MGP bourbon finished in a barrel that once held honey, and that’s precisely what it tastes like. On with the show!

Pour: Belle Meade Honey Cask Finished Bourbon
Proof: 105.3
Age: not stated
Color: dense amber
Nose: boozy glazed danish, caramel apple, dried orange
Taste: exotic honey, creamy butter toffee, sweet citrus
Finish: long w/ honeyed oak, baked apple & pear, faint cinnamon

Overall: With my spoiler out of the way, I can say that Belle Meade Honey Cask is a fantastic finished bourbon. It truly is. Were it reasonably priced on a retail shelf, I’d buy it. Complex, flavorful, and unique, no doubt about it. Just hyped to stupid.

Rating: H(not M)oney

Maker’s Mark 46 Cask Strength

I must admit, I’ve had fun exploring the Maker’s Mark catalog in the last year. But I’m not done yet! When I saw Maker’s 46 Cask Strength at my local bottle shop, I figured I’d give it a go. Can’t say I’m the biggest 46 fan, but maybe this uncut version will change my mind.

Pour: Maker’s Mark 46 Cask Strength
Proof: 110.3
Age: not stated
Color: dense copper
Nose: brown sugar, maple syrup, leather
Taste: bittersweet molasses, stout vanilla, gingerbread
Finish: medium-long w/ boozy English toffee, tannic oak, dry spice

Overall: Such a perplexing pour. There are things I like about Maker’s 46 Cask Strength, and things I don’t. I appreciate its robust, layered character; I just find the tannins and dry spice accompanying it a bit overpowering. Bold, yet unbalanced.

Rating: Mood 46.

Angel’s Envy

When I first ventured into whiskey, one of my early favorites was Angel’s Envy. The proof was approachable, the flavor was sweet, and the finish fared easy. But over time, I drifted away from Henderson’s neoclassic “bourbon finished in port wine casks.” A revisit is overdue.

Pour: Angel’s Envy
Proof: 86.8
Age: not stated
Color: rich amber
Nose: brown sugar glaze, baked pear, toffee
Taste: vanilla, honey butter, Golden Delicious apple
Finish: moderate w/ caramel drizzle, confectioners sugar, faint white pepper

Overall: Don’t let my notes fool you – this is tastier than I remember. And while Angel’s Envy isn’t complex whiskey, it’s enjoyable whiskey. The port cask influence is just right – enough to add character, yet keep that character undeniably Kentucky.

Rating: Angelically simple.

Maker’s Mark FAE-01

Thanks to SE4 x PR5, Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series has my attention. I was genuinely impressed with the 2020 release – so much so, that I purchased the latest edition, FAE-01, the week it hit my local liquor store. Here’s to the hope for a comparable whiskey. Cheers!

Pour: Maker’s Mark FAE-01
Proof: 110.3
Age: not stated
Color: dense honey
Nose: pancakes w/ syrup, chocolate raspberry, English toffee
Taste: chocolate fondue & fruit, cinnamon honey buns, woody spice
Finish: long w/ toasted caramel, baked spiced apples, gingerbread

Overall: When I first popped the cork on Maker’s FAE-01 I was struck by its intensity, particularly in comparison to SE4 x PR5. It’s since grown on me. I don’t love FAE-01 as much as its ambrosial predecessor, but for $60 it gets my approval.

Rating: Great; not my FAE-vorite.

Maker’s Mark SE4 x PR5

Fall 2020 saw the second entry in the Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series, SE4 x PR5. Curiously, it didn’t receive the level of hype typically associated with annual limited-edition bourbons. A great thing for Maker’s fans, as perception in the bourbon world is seldom 20/20.

Pour: Maker’s Mark SE4 x PR5
Proof: 110.8
Age: not stated
Color: honey
Nose: maple syrup, semisweet chocolate, holiday citrus
Taste: creamy caramel, heavily toasted oak, orange cola
Finish: long & flavorful – vanilla extract, cinnamon, hazelnut coffee

Overall: An ambrosial delight of subtly exotic complexity. For $60, it doesn’t get much better than Maker’s Mark SE4 x PR5. To those that passed this impressive whiskey by, I leave you with the immortal words of Ms. Vivian Ward, “Big mistake. Big. Huge.”

Rating: Slept-on hit.

Joseph Magnus Triple-Cask Finished Bourbon

Joseph Magnus Triple-Cask Finished Bourbon is the flagship expression of Jos. A. Magnus & Co., a DC-based brand resurrected by descendants of the historic Cincinnati whiskey wholesaler. The talented Nancy Fraley, master taster, is responsible for each blend. On deck, batch 96.

Pour: Joseph Magnus Triple-Cask Finished Bourbon no. 96
Proof: 100
Age: NAS (reportedly 12 years)
Color: rosy amber
Nose: chocolate raisins, nutty vanilla, blood orange
Taste: toasted brown sugar, ripe plum, pipe tobacco
Finish: caramel-brandy, black walnut, lingering smoky leather

Overall: Delicious. For a finished whiskey, Joseph Magnus maintains enough bourbon character to brandish its 12-year (MGP) origin. Not “over-sherried,” and gentle on the cognac influence, it’s notably complex, harmonious and balanced. Well done, Nancy.

Rating: Fraley’s Comet.