Angel's Envy "Devil's Advocate" Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished In Port Wine Barrels The Prime Barrel Pick #54

This is our second AE pick, and yet again, each barrel we were sent had a distinctly different profile with varying fruit and port influence levels. All samples provided by Angel’s Envy were, without question, some of the best samples we tasted last year. This program also differs from others due to Angel's Envy not allowing barrel strength bottling, presumably not to compete with their flagship cask strength edition. The company slightly proofs down single barrel selections anywhere from 100 to 110 proof, and the "proof down" amount varies for each selection based on each market. In New York, the proof-down effect is less than in most markets to 108 proof (the barrel we selected was originally tasted at 118.3 proof, then at 108 proof after proofing it down according to instructions from Angel's Envy)

We tasted several, and all could have been winners. We settled on the complete barrel - Barrel 172C - unique nose, complex palate, and an excellent finish.