Review of the Angel's Envy Distillery Tour - Heaven on Earth

 The most recent edition to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is the newly opened Angel's Envy Distillery, located in downtown Louisville Kentucky.

 A vision of the late Lincoln Henderson, the Angel’s Envy Distillery was to be the location for his collaborative work alongside his son - post-retirement as Brown-Foreman’s Master Distiller.  A few years after his passing, his son Wes kept the vision alive.  With the help of Kevin Curtis, the Distillery’s Operations Manager and close friend of the Henderson family, the vision has now become a reality.

 

As you tour the facility, visitors get to experience both the traditional process of whiskey making as well as state-of-the-art technology all wrapped into one. And even though the distillery is one of the newest to open their doors to the public, Angles Envy is still able to keep the Kentucky bourbon heritage sacred through the legacy of Lincoln's vision and his impact in the industry.

 

 Tours begin in the beautiful visitor’s center stocked with plenty of their namesake bourbon and rum cask finished rye.  Visitors see the distillation process from the beginning to the end including stops at the fermenting tank, the bottling warehouse, and areas where they go into greater detail about the unique process of aging Angel’s Envy in used port barrels.  We had an excellent tour guide who let us in on a few secrets.  They will soon be kicking off their barrel selection process and visitors will also be able to fill their own bottles without even doing the full tour (will it be at barrel proof???).  They finish the tour at the beautiful distillery bar where you get to sample the products fruit of the distillery’s labor.  Currently, the tour offers only bourbon but they initiate the tasting using chocolate to highlight the notes in the whisky.

 

I don’t want to share too much because just like all the distilleries, I highly encourage everyone to visit, experience and enjoy the unique features and characteristics each one has to offer.  

This is a great addition to the trail. I can see this distillery maturing and getting better and better.  It is just blocks away from other great whisky attractions and spots for lunch.  Definitely worth a visit.

Located at 500 E. Main St. Louisville, Kentucky 40

202

Tours take around one hour and cost $15.00 per person.  10 spots maximum per tour

Limited to a number of visitors a day for touring, it's well worth the wait to get in.  Just be sure to book a reservation through their website before arriving at the doorstep.   

Tours are by reservation only, which can be booked through their website or through the link below.

             https://store.angelsenvy.com/?_ga=1.257768584.201643316.1479759382

Visitor Center, Tours & Gift Shop Hours

Tours are held on the hour with the last tour starting at 4 pm

Monday | 10-5
Tuesday | 10-5*
*No Distillery tours on Tuesdays
Wednesday | 10-5
Thursday | 10-5
Friday | 10-5
Saturday | 10-5
Sunday | 1-5

NOTE** This is a working distillery so no high-heels ladies or open-toes shoes.  

                            They are making delicious whiskey for us to enjoy!

Flavor in Basil Country - Review of Basil Hayden Bourbon

Normally, I shy away from low ABV bourbons and whiskies but recently I discovered that not all juice should be judged on ABV alone.  

With the lowest ABV that Beam currently distributes, Basil Hayden is and always has been quite a bourbon that would surprise even the biggest bourbon aficionados.  At just 80 proof, Basil Hayden is the lightest bourbon whiskey in this small batch family but still manages to carry an interesting and flavorful palate.

The Basil Hayden bourbon brand was introduced in 1992 and is named after Basil Hayden, Sr.  Hayden Sr. was a distiller, and he used a larger amount of rye in his mash than other bourbons of his day.  Later, Hayden's grandson Raymond B. Hayden founded a distillery in Nelson County and named his label "Old Grand-Dad", in honor of his grandfather, which bears a rendering of Basil Sr.'s likeness.

Unlike the traditional Jim Beam low-rye mashbill, Basil Hayden has a higher-rye recipe (27%) and is the same whiskey that goes into bottles of Old Grand-Dad. (see our review of Old Grand-Dad 114)  The only difference between the two is how long they slept.  Basil Hayden is older and has a lower proof – depending on which version of OGD you pick up.  With the absence of an age stamp on both labels, consumers are left to distinguish the level of maturity using their keen sense of tasting.  The BH label was updated in 2014 to reflect “artfully aged” rather than the traditional dating.  It is common thought that this liquid is approximately 8 years old.  Other brands have since done this as well (demand, supply etc.), but no specific reason was found for Basil Hayden.  Beam claims the mash used that the Basil Hayden we know today is similar to the original mash used by Hayden himself in his original recipe. 

With the growing popularity of American Whiskey, Basil Hayden has stayed strong on the shelves and is usually available.  It is artfully designed and typically lines the shelves with its small batch mates in the Beam SB family. 

Tasting Notes:

The color mimics that classic bourbon hue – golden and similar to that of a light maple syrup. 

The nose leans to the herbal side with mint and dried sage.  Maybe it was me or because of the name but I also got some basil(?)

The juice is very buttery with warm spices. A very soft, smooth front of cinnamon and hints of pecans.  Not much of a bite here.  For those looking for an easy drinker – this is your dram.    
The finish has a lighter presence then one would think with a higher rye.  It certainly does not linger on the palate for any period of time.  The balanced mash bill lends to perfect drinkability and is a good example of a daily drinker. 

Final Sip:

Basil Hayden is a great dram for many occasions and for a variety of palates.  I try to keep multiple bottles around so I can share with those who aren’t ready to adventure into higher proof bourbons yet still want to enjoy a good whiskey. 

I would highly suggest drinking it neat and suggesting others to do so as well.  This also helps newcomers to learn how to drink bourbon the right way.  

 

Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Jim Beam
Mashbill: 63% Corn, 27% Rye, 10% Malted Barley


ABV: 40%
Price: $39 - $53

Sources:  

http://www.basilhaydens.com/ 

https://www.beamsuntory.com/ 

 * - Photo taken from open source of the web

 

FOUR SPIRITS FROM BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY AWARDED “BEST OF CATEGORY”

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (June 28, 2016) Four spirits from Buffalo Trace Distillery were awarded “Best of Category” at the 2016 Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition, including Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Stagg Jr. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey. An additional 12 medals were awarded to spirits from Buffalo Trace Distillery, seven of which were Gold Medals.

These spirits were ranked among 401 spirits that were submitted from a total of 29 countries.

Spirits earning medals include:

Gold Medal

·         Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

·         Eagle Rare Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

·         Stagg Jr. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

·         Blanton’s Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

·         Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey

·         E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

·         Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream

            Silver Medal

·         Benchmark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

·         Wheatley Vodka

·         Platinum 7X Vodka

·         Rain Cucumber Vodka

            Bronze Medal

·         E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

            The Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition was formed in 2007, with an esteemed panel of judges using a blind-tasting method to award medals to the best distilled spirits from around the world.  The award-winning entries will be displayed during the Los Angeles County Fair, Sept. 2 – 25, in “The Wine, Beer & Spirits Marketplace.” 

            Complete results of the 2016 LAIWSC are available at www.laspiritscomp.com

Tales from the Bottom Shelf - Review of Old Grand Dad 114

The title of this post, “Tales from the Bottom Shelf” may be perceived as a negative connotation.  Trust me when I say that this is only referring to the spot that the liquor stores choose to place this hidden gem of the bourbon world.  In an age where some enthusiasts are only seeking the latest limited edition offering from one of the big boys, there are missed opportunities for great tasting from these same distilleries.

One such offering is the classic 114 proof sipper from Jim Beam – Old Grand Dad.  Since this bottle spends its life on the bottom shelf of almost every liquor store, it doesn’t get too much attention.  My first introduction to this beauty was in a cocktail paired with a cinnamon syrup, ginger and soda.  A fine cocktail but once I realized how great this was on its own, I quickly changed my ways.

There is a ton of flavor packed into to OGD 114.  Much like its brethren, the more mature Basil Hayden, the lower proof 100 edition and the 86 (or 80 depending on how old the bottle is) it presents in a deep amber color with nose of orange among the classic caramel notes.   My favorite way to drink bourbon is to find the sweet spot around 108 proof.  At 57% ABV, This can be a bit spicy.  I suggest letting your dram breath for a few minutes, take a sip and add a small piece of ice to further soften.  

The palate brings more orange with hints of fresh pepper, cinnamon, herbal notes of sage and mint with a classic vanilla tone.  Though it does not offer an age stamp, OGD 114 drinks like 4-year-old bourbon.  The hints of oak and deep color validate this assumption.  

My favorite part of this $24 bourbon is the finish.  Long, rich, delicious without a hint of bitterness.  Even at this proof, it is dangerously smooth and easy to drink.  One warning - don’t enjoy it too much – it will make you swear off those 80 proof “watered down” bourbons! 

Where to find OGD - Any liquor store....

Price - $19 - $30.00