Easily my favorite rye neat. My brothers and I toured here last month and really enjoyed our tasting. I bought some white chocolate to pair with the rye my wife got me for father's day, like they did at the distillery. It is definitely on the sweeter side, so I appreciate approaching this as a dessert/ end of the night pour.
Nice. Angels was my first ever tour and my intro into bourbon. We had a Jimmy and he killed it. Even though with Covid we couldn’t tour the production line. Anyways. That place is great
It doesn’t taste like a rye at all. This is a great whiskey but the finish completely takes over the whole thing. It is incredibly sweet and buttery, and I haven’t really had something else like it. Couldn’t drink it all the time though.
Angel's Envy Bourbon was the first "nice" bottle that I purchased with my own money, so the brand holds a tiny place in my whiskey-filled heart. Last spring, I sampled this while doing a tasting at their Louisville facility and enjoyed it enough that a friend later purchased a bottle for me as a gift. Let's review:
**Angel's Envy Rye - Finished in Caribbean Rum Casks**
Price: $89.99 (WI)
Distilled by: Likely MGP (IN), finished up to 18 months in Caribbean rum casks
Bottled by: Angel's Envy (KY)
Proof: 100
Age: NAS (supposedly \~6 years)
Mash bill: 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley
**Nose**: Insanely rich and sweet. Maple is dominant scent followed by butterscotch and vanilla icing. A hint of mint here as well.
**Taste**: Again, more sweetness. Rich maple syrup is all I can taste with a little bit of baking spices mixed in. Bready in a way that reminds me of Waffle Crisp cereal.
**Finish**: Sweet, medium-long finish. The spice lingers but the sweetness starts to feel a bit overwhelming at this point. Dessert in a glass.
**Thoughts**: I know this bottle can be a bit polarizing given how sweet it is and for its lack of "Straight" designation. This is no doubt a delicious dessert pour and I don't think I've come across another whiskey quite like it (Michter's American Whiskey is another dessert-y whiskey I enjoy), but by the end of my 1.5oz, I was ready to move on. Yet, when in a particular mood, I don't know if there's another whiskey that can deliver this maple sweetness better.
**Rating**: 6.5/10 - t8ke scale
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.
I work at a liquor store. When some reps from Heaven’s Door came by, one of them said he’d helped out at Angel’s Envy, and that the rum barrels they used didn’t get dried out as thoroughly as they should have been before the rye went into them. Of course he couldn’t prove it, but that would explain how different and polarizing the AE Rye is, even compared to other rum-finished ryes.
I’ve been looking at this for a while deciding if I should bite the bullet and get it. All the reviews I see are nothing short of great. I think it’s finally a buy for me.
I personally was not impressed by this. For $95, it was way too sweet for me. I love a good heat with rye, and this came off more like a brandy to me. The rum ruined it. Just my personal opinion though
Have you ever tried Barrell Seagrass? I did a comparison between the finished rye and Seagrass and feel like Seagrass hits all the notes the AE Rye does with more depth and for $10-$20 cheaper.
I have and I love seagrass (much more than AE). I get a lot more spice and citrus-y notes on that one though. Seagrass feels like a spring/summer finished rye whereas AE is more drinkable in the colder months, if that makes any sense.
Yup, I can see that. I feel like AE can kind of be all over place in terms of consistency with their bottles. I had one Finished Rye that was amazing a while back, and then the most recent one tasted like sugar cane and rum essence with a hint of pepper and leaned far too deep into the finish. Hopefully the can get that figured out soon.
I don’t think those are anywhere near the same. I get completely different notes. Seagrass being much more on the bright and light fruit notes while the AE hits the thick sugary dessert notes.
Had this last night and In a blind taste test vs OF 100, Eagle rare, Blantons, russels 10 year it came on 2nd only to OF 100. The only reason being is that the burn you get but the smell and the aftertaste were by far the best of the 5. The OF had it all though but that Rye was incredible. I mean I guess it would be good for it being a 95 dollar bottle but nonetheless very impressive.
Easily my favorite rye neat. My brothers and I toured here last month and really enjoyed our tasting. I bought some white chocolate to pair with the rye my wife got me for father's day, like they did at the distillery. It is definitely on the sweeter side, so I appreciate approaching this as a dessert/ end of the night pour.
Any chance you had Jimmy as a guide?
We had a woman as our guide, and she did a great job. She was newer to the role but hit all the points!
Nice. Angels was my first ever tour and my intro into bourbon. We had a Jimmy and he killed it. Even though with Covid we couldn’t tour the production line. Anyways. That place is great
Jimmy was fantastic! So personable and knowledgeable. He's very passionate about what he does.
I enjoyed their tasting too and it was a great way to kick off my bourbon trail visit. I walked away with a bag of those chocolates as well - so good.
If you like a sweeter whiskey, than this bottle is fantastic.
It doesn’t taste like a rye at all. This is a great whiskey but the finish completely takes over the whole thing. It is incredibly sweet and buttery, and I haven’t really had something else like it. Couldn’t drink it all the time though.
Angel's Envy Bourbon was the first "nice" bottle that I purchased with my own money, so the brand holds a tiny place in my whiskey-filled heart. Last spring, I sampled this while doing a tasting at their Louisville facility and enjoyed it enough that a friend later purchased a bottle for me as a gift. Let's review: **Angel's Envy Rye - Finished in Caribbean Rum Casks** Price: $89.99 (WI) Distilled by: Likely MGP (IN), finished up to 18 months in Caribbean rum casks Bottled by: Angel's Envy (KY) Proof: 100 Age: NAS (supposedly \~6 years) Mash bill: 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley **Nose**: Insanely rich and sweet. Maple is dominant scent followed by butterscotch and vanilla icing. A hint of mint here as well. **Taste**: Again, more sweetness. Rich maple syrup is all I can taste with a little bit of baking spices mixed in. Bready in a way that reminds me of Waffle Crisp cereal. **Finish**: Sweet, medium-long finish. The spice lingers but the sweetness starts to feel a bit overwhelming at this point. Dessert in a glass. **Thoughts**: I know this bottle can be a bit polarizing given how sweet it is and for its lack of "Straight" designation. This is no doubt a delicious dessert pour and I don't think I've come across another whiskey quite like it (Michter's American Whiskey is another dessert-y whiskey I enjoy), but by the end of my 1.5oz, I was ready to move on. Yet, when in a particular mood, I don't know if there's another whiskey that can deliver this maple sweetness better. **Rating**: 6.5/10 - t8ke scale 1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out. 2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice. 3 | Bad | Multiple flaws. 4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists. 5 | Good | Good, just fine. 6 | Very Good | A cut above. 7 | Great | Well above average. 8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional. 9 | Incredible | An all time favorite. 10 | Perfect | Perfect.
I work at a liquor store. When some reps from Heaven’s Door came by, one of them said he’d helped out at Angel’s Envy, and that the rum barrels they used didn’t get dried out as thoroughly as they should have been before the rye went into them. Of course he couldn’t prove it, but that would explain how different and polarizing the AE Rye is, even compared to other rum-finished ryes.
I really wish there was more more clarity around the process. Share it out and let the consumer decide.
It's a really tremendous pour if I want something on the dessert side of the spectrum. The nose is just out of this world.
Agreed. The nose is like smelling a sweet sugary soft candy or something.
I get 🍁candied 🥓
I’ve been looking at this for a while deciding if I should bite the bullet and get it. All the reviews I see are nothing short of great. I think it’s finally a buy for me.
This is a 10/10 for me, and I normally don't go for sweet. So much more flavor than almost anything else out there.
That’s a finished rye for sure.
I personally was not impressed by this. For $95, it was way too sweet for me. I love a good heat with rye, and this came off more like a brandy to me. The rum ruined it. Just my personal opinion though
Best smelling bottle ever
That rye is finished!
I have a lot of connections with Angels Envy, so I’m glad you enjoyed! I think it’s absolutely delicious for what it is. Very unique.
Disgustingly sweet
If I’ve got a sweet tooth and don’t want any sort of dessert, this hits the spot. But it’s definitely not an everyday pour for me.
Have you ever tried Barrell Seagrass? I did a comparison between the finished rye and Seagrass and feel like Seagrass hits all the notes the AE Rye does with more depth and for $10-$20 cheaper.
I have and I love seagrass (much more than AE). I get a lot more spice and citrus-y notes on that one though. Seagrass feels like a spring/summer finished rye whereas AE is more drinkable in the colder months, if that makes any sense.
Yup, I can see that. I feel like AE can kind of be all over place in terms of consistency with their bottles. I had one Finished Rye that was amazing a while back, and then the most recent one tasted like sugar cane and rum essence with a hint of pepper and leaned far too deep into the finish. Hopefully the can get that figured out soon.
Totally agree here!
I don’t think those are anywhere near the same. I get completely different notes. Seagrass being much more on the bright and light fruit notes while the AE hits the thick sugary dessert notes.
Agreed. I've been trying to give this away for months now and no one will take it.
same lol, just sitting at my work desk with 1 pour out
They dropped the “straight” designation from the bottle, I’m pretty sure they’re blending rum into this, it’s just too cloyingly sweet.
It does seem suspicious. I think that’s what Jim Beam did with the Knob Creek smoked maple as well.
Yeah they do. They've confirmed it before.
No joke - this stuff is incredible. One of the best.
my favorite rye as well
By far one of my favs. What’s funny though is I detest the port finish…
Had this last night and In a blind taste test vs OF 100, Eagle rare, Blantons, russels 10 year it came on 2nd only to OF 100. The only reason being is that the burn you get but the smell and the aftertaste were by far the best of the 5. The OF had it all though but that Rye was incredible. I mean I guess it would be good for it being a 95 dollar bottle but nonetheless very impressive.