So there I was, in the liquor section of the Navy Exchange (basically the Navy’s Walmart) looking to try something new. My eyes were drawn to the plywood case that was supposed to be locked, filled with all of the expensive whiskeys. To my left, my brother-in-law Dave, to my right the lady’s clothing section, but right in front of me was the whiskey.
I can't think of a better place to start this adventure than with my favorite whiskey brand and how I stumbled upon it. Angel's Envy. (Full disclosure, I love this so distillery so they will be featured on here often.) The first time I tried it was when Lindsay and I were still living in Maryland while I was in the Navy. Dave and my sister had come out to visit us because we had just moved there from the Pacific Northwest. Maryland still wasn’t close to my hometown but was drastically closer than Washington state was. Dave is my Jedi master in the world of whiskey and beer and like any eager padawan, I was excited to show him what the Navy base had to offer. Navy bases always had amazing selections of alcohol.
While we were combing through the vast selection of gins, vodkas, and tequilas, we eventually made our way to the whiskeys. I was showing him ones I had tried and he was telling me other ones I would like. Inevitably we made it to the showcase of the nice alcohols. The stuff that is kept locked up. Low and behold just beyond the glass was a bottle of Angel’s Envy Cask Strength 2017 in what was most likely a nicer box than the one it was locked behind. Apparently, this was a rare find and Dave urged me to get it. It was more than I normally spend on whiskey, especially one's I have never tried. I had also never heard of that brand before so I was even more hesitant. He assured me they made a great product and had tried the Cask Strength at the bar he worked at so I took the risk. Dave has never led me wrong when it comes to beer or whiskey so I had, and still do, a lot of faith in him. Like all loving husbands, I called the wife to see what she thought about a bottle of that price. Right on brand for her, she told me to buy it because it was expensive so it must be good.
It came in a nice box and when we opened it there was a small card there. One side was the specifics about the bottle and the other was a code to register it. I went on to their website and registered it thinking that would be the end of it and shared a glass with my wife and brother-in-law. My sister isn’t a huge fan of whiskey so we didn’t leave her out I promise. She was sitting next to us so no need to worry!
I was not ready for the tasting experience that I had just signed my mouth up for. It was the highest proof liquor I had drank in a while and that became instantly obvious. Between the watery eyes and the coughing, I knew there was a great whiskey underneath. The second sip was much better, now that I knew what I was in for. For the second glass, I did add an ice cube to tame the burn for my weak palate and it really opened up all the flavors.
A few weeks went by and I got an email from Angel's Envy that said they were touring the country doing tastings for people that bought the Cask Strength. Luckily, there was one in D.C. in a few months. Never one to turn down a free party with booze, we RSVP’d.
The day finally came and we prepared for the long journey into D.C on a Thursday. Traffic was inevitably going to be a nightmare. Undeterred we boldly made the hour and a half to the metro station. Then heroically rode a metro for 30-minutes until our stop near the Hank's Oyster Bar where it was being held. It was a small place covered in brick walls and when we walked in we were directed upstairs through a narrow staircase. I am convinced this bar saw action in the Revolution. Once we reached the top we were greeted by Angel’s Envy’s ambassadors, or as they say it Whiskey Guardians. (That name is perfect by the way. Guardians working for a company with Angel in the name is brilliant. I really respect their marketing team.) They were extremely friendly and showed us the appetizers that would be served all night, handed us our drink tickets for the free samples, and gave us a glass of Cask Strength to start the night. More importantly, they showed us to the bar area tucked into the corner of this quaint upstairs space.
Now I know what your thinking. “Wow, this couple must be pretty fancy to go to a private tasting in D.C.” Fear not dear reader we are not at all fancy but holy crap everyone else that went absolutely was! We were the only ones there not in suits. We both went in nice jeans and I had on what I would have considered a nice button-up. Our lack of status was immediately apparent to all the other attendees but seemed like a breath of fresh air to the Guardians. For example, a guy in his late 20’s ask me how to tip because he doesn’t normally go to places like this. I explained a couple of bucks is a nice gesture and he smirked while saying I don’t carry anything that low. He dropped a 20 and walked away. I am pretty sure the other people in attendance thought we snuck in.
The night started with an introduction by Wes Henderson, the owner of Angel's Envy. He was easy going and did a quick welcome speech, talked about the short history of the company, and what he was hoping for the future. He offered to sign our bottles throughout the night so we had a chance to talk to him one on one. We had been drinking the whiskey so we couldn't bring the open bottle so we asked Wes, (we are basically on a first-name basis now), sign the box. While surprised he was excited that we actually tried the nectar inside. Most of the other people that night never intended to open their bottles but used them as display pieces. He also thanked us for coming and spending the night with him and his team. Lindsay and I expressed how much we would love to make a trip to Louisville to see the distillery. He glowed when he talked about us visiting and gave us recommendations for restaurants and other activities around the area as well. It was really refreshing to see that level of excitement in the owner of a company about his city.
Since we were both still pretty new to the whiskey game we made sure to make the most of this opportunity to learn. We spent the rest of the night talking to the Guardians and the bartender about Angel's Envy or other whiskeys we need to try. They were more than happy to give us recommendations or advice. Most of the night they were just handed empty glasses or plates by the other attendees so they jumped at this opportunity to share their knowledge. In an effort to get us to try new things the Guardians used their drink tickets to order for us. It was a lot of fun watching the banter between the Guardians and the bartender on what we should explore next. This led us to try another one of Angel's Envy offering, their Rye. (Those also will be discussed later so don’t you worry!). It was an amazing night that my wife and I will never forget. We were treated with such hospitality by everyone from the Owner on down. We fell in love with the company. It does also help all the whiskey was fantastic. While we were still new and learning about whiskey, we knew this was a hobby we wanted to stick with.
Angel's Envy Cask Strength 2017 is 124.5 proof and for new palates, you are going to feel all of that. It was a little hot for us but still really good. The advice we got that night was to add a few drops of water to it to really open it up. I was skeptical that the technique would do anything but I tried it. It made a world of difference for both of us. It smoothed out the burn and more flavors came through. These are the listed notes but I am curious about what you got.
Color: Copper
Nose: Oak, Tea Leaves, Smoke, Fresh Herbs, Leather
Palate: Green Apples, Royal Ann Cherries, Rock Candy, Citrus Peel
Finish: Creamy, Toast, Fresh Vanilla, Apricot Pie, Gardenias
I would recommend a glass of this with a few drops of water. Overall, if you get the chance, I would definitely try Angel's Envy Cask Strength 2017
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