Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Wine Barrels Bot 2022

Our 11th Cask Strength release has arrived. Made from some of the most distinctive barrels in our rickhouse and aged for up to 14 additional months in port wine casks, it’s one of our most popular and critically acclaimed whiskey collections. 

TASTING NOTES

A dark amber red 119.8 proof bourbon with a creamy, indulgent flavor. Notes of caramel, brown sugar, and fruit.

NOSE: Begins with hints of leather, brown sugar and caramel, followed by crème brûlée, marshmallow, green apple and citrus orange.

PALATE: Apples, caramel, and brown sugar. The creaminess pairs with orange from the nose, creating a dessert-like richness. Vanilla, toasted oak and black pepper spice round it out.

FINISH: Slight fruitiness and grape tannic notes with a lingering spice.

After two Colorado family farms grow our heirloom varietals of wheat, barley and rye, our labor-intensive cooking technique brings each grain’s individual character to life, while open-air sour mash adds soulful complexity. After three years in 53-gallon charred oak barrels, influenced by our high-altitude climate, an entirely novel bourbon unfolds.

AROMAS: Orange blossoms compliment notes of black tea, honey and dusty pepper

FLAVORS:  Pekoe tea, orange peel, cinnamon and vanilla custard. Hints of sweet tobacco and spice lead to a rich, dry finish.

MASH BILL: 60% corn, 20% heirloom wheat, 10% heirloom rye, 10% heirloom malted barley

AGED: 3+ years in new 53 gallon charred oak barrels

Situated along the northern coast of South America, Guyana was colonized by the Netherlands in the early 17th century. Much like other European countries at the time, the Dutch used their settlement's tropical climate Guyana enjoys an average temperature of up to 89.6 F and up to 137.8 inches of rainfall annually as a source of raw, fresh ingredients that were unable to be harvested on the European continent. In 1658, Guyana began exporting sugar back to the Netherlands and within a decade, farmer's along the Demerara River began distilling their excess cane sugar into rum. By the turn of the century, the tiny Caribbean country had over 300 unique distilleries. Today, Demerara Distillers Co. the last remaining rum distillery in the country pays homage to Guyana's rich tradition of distilling fine rum with El Dorado 8 Year Old Rum. El Dorado Rum is made from fresh, raw sugar cane cultivated in Guyana's rich, alluvial soil. After the sugar cane has been harvested by hand, it is transported back to Demerara Distillery by barge. There, the molasses is fermented with a proprietary strain of yeast specifically designed to control the brix of the wash (brix is the measure of dissolved solids in a solution). Following fermentation, the rum is distilled through Demerara Distillers antique wooden and copper stills (the stills, which are up two two centuries old, were used when the country was still a settlement). Following distillation, El Dorado 8 Year Old Rum is matured in bespoke, 45-gallon American oak casks that were previously used to mature whiskey. The hand-coopered barrels are allowed to mature in a custom-built warehouse, where Guyana's intense heat and tropical climate forces the rum and wood to mingle. Once the rum has rested for a minimum of eight years, it is brought to proof and bottled by hand. The rum has a dark aroma, with hints of tobacco, caramel and toffee. Notes of stone fruits, banana, creme brulee and papaya dominate the palate, and lead to a soft and slightly sweet finish with traces of oak and butterscotch. The rum was named the Best Rum of 2014 by F. Paul Pacult's Spirit Journal, which also named it one of the top ten spirits of the year. In addition, El Dorado 8 Year Old was named the second best rum at the Imbibe Magazine tasting competition in London.

Founded in 1982 by German-born Jrg Rupf, St. George Spirits is one of the oldest craft distilleries in the United States. The distillery, housed in an old World War II airplane hangar on a former naval base on the edge of San Francisco, is home to Lance Winters, mad scientist and St. George's master distiller. Winters, who is widely-known for experimenting with different types of spirits, has a laboratory dominated by a 10-liter test still in addition to the glass beakers and graduated cylinders that cover every inch of his counterspace. Next to the dusty chalkboards caked with equations for the conversion of sugar to alcohol and intricate diagrams of molecular structures are bottles of experimental whiskies, vodkas and even an aging balsamic vinegar (it's 14 years old already). Our objective with St. George Raspberry Brandy, explains Winters, was to take an olfactory snapshot to capture exactly what raspberries smell like at their peak of ripeness. We used the whole fruit in its entirety in a deliberate effort to maximize the most elemental and essential flavors and aromas. Once the raspberries have been harvested, they are distilled through copper pot stills without the use of sugar or any other artificial ingredients. The brandy has an extraordinary texture and flavor profile, with rich waves of soft fruit, raspberries, oak and cinnamon that are complemented by a mineral touch. The brandy was named one of the Top 75 Spirits of 2014 by F. Paul Pacult's Spirit Journal.

Born in southern Burgundy, Alexandre Gabriel spent his youth working on his family's farm in central France. His grandfather, a strict disciplinarian, taught Alexandre how to graft a tree, milk a cow and harvest grapes. "For my grandfather, the only wealth is the one from the land," says Alexandre, fondly. After studying at the Macalester College in Minnesota and earning a degree in Lyon, Gabriel began working with Maison Ferrand, one of the oldest cognac houses in France. During his tenure at Maison Ferrand, Gabriel would dispose of used cognac casks by selling them to distilleries in Scotland and the Caribbean. "Our love affair with true rum began when we sold the prized casks that once held our Cognac to rum producers, and we fell in love with their product," says Alexandre. Centuries ago, Caribbean rum producers would send casks of rum to Europe and the United States, where the rum would mature before it was bottled and sold to the public. This is a practice that was done more commonly in the past but has almost disappeared now. We thought who better than Ferrand, with our know-how and exceptional casks, to resurrect this ancient technique." Plantation Grande Rserve 5 Year Old Rum was initially distilled on the island of Barbados and then matured for five years in ex-bourbon casks that were laid to rest in the Caribbean. Following this maturation process, the rum was transported to France and matured in used French oak casks at the Chteau de Bonbonnet. This secondary maturation adds hints of oaky vanilla, fudge and caramel that complement the rum's intense notes of tropical fruits, bananas, toasted almonds, brown sugar and coconuts. Plantation Grande Rserve 5 Year Old Rum earned a score of 94 points from Wine Enthusiast.

Clément VSOP Rhum Vieux is distilled from sugarcane juice as is typical in Martinique and proudly wears the “AOC Martinique” designation signifying an exemplary degree of expertise in every stage of production.

TASTING NOTES

Color: Mahogany

Maturation: 4 years of tropical aging in ex-Bourbon and French oak

Nose: Aromatic notes of mocha, cocoa, salted toffee and vanilla.

Palate: Very soft and balanced. Overwhelming notes of woody vanilla and toasted coconut.

In 1805, the Mitchell & Sons Wine Merchants Company was established in the heart of Dublin, Ireland. By the turn of the 19th century, the Mitchells sold a range of Irish whiskeys under the name "Spot." This name originated from the company's practice of marking casks of different ages with a spot of colored paint. As a result, Mitchell & Sons sold whiskies named Blue Spot, Green Spot, Red Spot and finally Yellow Spot, which was last seen in the mid-to-late 1960s. Today, Yellow Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey continues to be crafted in the heart of Ireland. The whiskey is made from malted and unmalted barley, which are milled and mashed before being triple-distilled through a traditional pot still. Following distillation, the whiskey is matured for 12 years the Yellow Spot brand was always aged for this amount of time in a combination of American Bourbon casks, Spanish sherry butts and Spanish Malaga casks. The inclusion of the single pot still spirit aged in Spanish Malaga casks gives Yellow Spot its famously sweet character. After the various casks have been blended together, Yellow Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey is bottled at 92 proof, just a bit higher than other traditional Irish whiskies which are bottled at 90 proof. "Pot Still Whiskeys define the traditional flavor character of Irish whiskey and we have seen a renewed interest and growth in the category over the last few years," says Brian Nation, the master distiller at Midleton Distillery, which makes Yellow Spot Whiskey. Yellow Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey has an aroma of red bell peppers, nutmeg, green tea and sweet peaches from the Malaga casks. On the palate, there is a honey sweetness accented by cloves, baked apples, milk chocolate, coffee and creme brulee. The finish is dry and complex, with notes of toasted oak, red grapes and barley. Yellow Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey was released in the United States in 2015 in extremely limited quantities. The whiskey was named Irish Whiskey of the Year by Whisky Advocate in 2016, in addition to winning Gold in the Wizards of Whiskey competition that same year.

The Featherbone Factory built by E.K. Warren in the 19th century to manufacture women's corsets sits on the banks of Lake Michigan just across the Indiana border in Three Oaks, Michigan. As the factory changed hands in the twentieth century, it became a production site for everything from buggy whips to pickles. Today, it's home to Journeyman Distillery and Bill Welter, Journeyman's master distiller. Welter, who was formerly a banker in Indiana, began his Journey when his family business was sold in 2006. He moved to Scotland, where he began to learn the art of craft distillation from Greg Ramsay (master distiller at Nant Distillery) and Bill Lark (master distiller at Lark Distillery). After returning to the United States, Welter spent time producing and resting whiskey using a prominent organic & kosher distiller's facility in Chicago before opening the doors of his own distillery in Three Oaks with the intention to offer grain-to-glass spirits from day one/drop one. Featherbone Bourbon is made by distilling a mash of 70 percent organic corn, 25 percent organic wheat and 5 perfect organic rye through a 5000-liter, copper pot still imported from Germany. Welter sources the corn and rye from a farmer in Illinois, and the wheat from a local farmer in Michigan. The grains are produced without the use of synthetic fertilizers, artificial pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, growth hormones, feed additives, or genetically modified organisms and enable Journeyman Distillery and all of its products to be certified organic by the Midwest Organic Services Association. Following distillation, the bourbon ages to profile in newly charred American oak casks. Using multiple size barrels, each distillation is tailored to the barrel it will age in and bottled once it has reached the desired taste profile. Journeyman Featherbone Bourbon is bold, assertive and youthful, with earthy flavors, nutty notes, spirituous, cereal notes, peanut butter, sweet, caramel, vegetal qualities - warming on the palate.

Aria Portland Dry Gin is distilled by hand in the heart of Northwest Portland, Oregon. Aria is a classic English inspired gin made using traditional British ingredients and distillation techniques and is true to the London Dry style.

Aria was created by a seventeen-year professional bartender, for bartenders, with cocktails in mind. Aria is a versatile gin which works well in any classic gin cocktail, especially a Martini, or it can be the basis for experimentation and creativity. It is also approachable enough to be enjoyed neat or straight over ice.

The recipe for Aria was developed over the course of four years and hundreds of test distillations. Aria is handmade and batch distilled with ten classic gin botanicals that were carefully chosen to create a flavor profile that has depth and complexity, but above all a perfect sense of balance.

TASTING NOTES

Aria is full bodied and boldly aromatic. Juniper is up front—obvious on the first nosing and initially on the palate. Underneath the juniper, layers of bright citrus, earthy undertones, floral highlights and subtle spicy notes reveal themselves, both on the nose and palate, though none are overpowering. All of the layers of flavor are balanced. The pristine Bull Run water use to cut Aria after distillation provides a rich, creamy mouthfeel. The finish is long and soft.

This is a signature label in honor of Nikka's founder Masataka Taketsuru, the first Japanese who mastered whisky-making in Scotland and brought this expertise back to Japan. While being a disciplined craftsman, he was also a person of curiosity and open-mindedness. This is a tribute to Masataka from his successors, highlighting a perfect balance with complexity achieved by precise blending inherited from the founder.

A "pure malt" is a blend of malt whiskies from various distilleries, whereas a "single malt" is a whisky made exclusively from one distillery. A "pure malt" is also known as a "blended malt".

Taketsuru Pure Malt expression launched in 2020, with a refined formula and a new label design to represent the brand. While remaining a smooth and well-balanced blended malt, the formula further showcases an exquisite balance between elegant softness and deep complexity along with rich mouthfeel and smokiness.

The Corti Brothers grocery, which was started by Frank and Gino Corti in Sacramento, CA 1947, has long been at the forefront of the artisan food movement. The store's mission was to do more than just hand people products, but to talk food and wine with them, and this mantra was embodied in Frank's son Darrell, who developed an encyclopedic knowledge of products from around the world. Continuing his father's legacy, Darrell grew Corti Brothers to such acclaim that the LA Times credited the grocery with starting the gourmet-food revolution. In addition to his expertise in food and wine, Darrell Corti has quite a history with whiskey as well. In 1974, he traveled to Kentucky to bottle a special bourbon for Corti Brothers bicentennial, and on two separate occasions in the mid-80s he worked with the Van Winkle family to bottle private selections of Van Winkle Reserve. Now, in the spirit of the burgeoning craft distilling movement, Darrell Corti has partnered with Amador Distillery to create his very own private label whiskey, Corti Brothers Exquisite Whiskey. Corti Brothers Exquisite Whiskey is crafted from just 13 casks of seven year old, Kentucky bourbon whiskey that has been made with a mashbill of 70% corn, 25% rye and 5% malted barley. After seven years of maturation in these new, American oak casks, the whisky is then finished in barrels which previously housed Harbor Winery's Mission del Sole. This practice of double-barreling is common for Scotch whiskies, but relatively unusual for a bourbon whiskey. Afterwards, the whiskey is un-chill filtered and bottled at 90.5 proof. Corti Brothers Exquisite Whiskey has a nose of port and caramelized brown sugar, which leads to a palate filled with bright fruits, port, sherry and oak. The finish is rich and sweet, with more oak and a nice earthy character that lingers.

The Process

Requiring a careful combination of patience, care, and love, the process of creating Tears of Llorona starts with 100% pure Weber Agave Azul grown in the volcanic slopes of the Mexican highlands, where agaves grow slowly and naturally to achieve a higher starch content. Germán personally inspects each plant before harvesting and then slow-roasts the piñas the traditional way before fermenting using a proprietary yeast.

The fermented mosto, or must, is then distilled twice in traditional copper pot stills and aged in three distinct types of oak barrels— Scotch, Sherry Oak, and Brandy — for five years, which is two years longer than most traditional extra añejos.

Aging Process - Three Barrels

Aged for five years in three types of barrels, including scotch, brandy, and Sherry oak barrels, Tears of Llorona is then masterfully blended by Germán, delivering a layered tasting experience with a complexity of flavors. Germán then bottles at 43% specific gravity to balance the flavors. This slow, hand-crafted process results in a very high rate of osmotic loss, known as the “angels’ tears”; another reason for the name, Tears of Llorona.

SCOTCH | SHERRY | BRANDY OAK

Small Batch

While many aged spirits are discerned by the year in which they were released, each small batch, or lote, of Tears adorns a unique icon on the bottle’s neck label—one which often tells a story about the product or the maker.

TASTING NOTES

Master Distiller Germán González Gorrochotegui suggests a wide glass that allows Tears to open up. Don’t rush into it. Let it breathe. Swirl it in the glass. And do choose your glassware carefully because this is an experience for all five senses: the deep amber, the lingering nose, the feel of the legs on the glass, the conversation that ensues, and of course, the unforgettable taste.

AROMA: Caramel custard, dried fruit, and dark chocolate

TASTE: Agave with a heady spiciness and complexity for experienced palates

FINISH: Described best as "a warm scarf on a cold day."

The term "Kavalan" refers to some of the earliest inhabitants of Taiwan, who settled the modern-day Yilan County during the 16th century. Legend has it that the Kavalan arrived by sea from the east and upon seeing the stunning beauty of Taiwan, decided to settle the bountiful land. Kavalan Taiwanese Single Malt Whisky is crafted by the King Car Group, which was established in Taiwan in 1956. The whisky is made entirely in Taiwan from malted barley that is imported from Scotland. Once the grains arrive in Taiwan, they are milled and mashed, before being fermented with water drawn from springs situated in the Central and Snowy Mountain ranges. This incredibly pure and quintessentially Taiwanese water source adds slightly mineral, round flavors to the whisky. Following fermentation, the wash is distilled through lantern-shaped copper-pot stills that were previously used at the Glenlivet Distillery. Due to the small size and shape of the stills, the whisky interacts with the copper, resulting in an incredibly pure and fruity flavor profile. After the whisky has been distilled, it is matured in used American oak wine barrels that have been toasted and recharred. These barrels, which have aged both red and white wine, lend notes of fruit, vanilla, and oak to the whisky, as well as caramel, chocolate and spice, leading to an elegant, brown sugar finish. Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky was named the World's Best Single Malt Whisky at Whisky Magazine's 2015 World Whiskies Awards. It also received the Double Gold Medal at the 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

During the late 19th century, an overwhelming number of distilleries throughout the United States were still not aging their whiskey. As a result, some retailers would add juices and syrups to sweeten the whiskey, while others would add acid and tobacco to give their whiskey its signature, amber hue. In 1870, George Garvin Brown a young pharmaceuticals salesman from Kentucky saw the need for a consistently high-quality whiskey that would remain unadulterated after distillation. After saving $5,500, Brown and his brother opened the doors to J.T.S. Brown & Bro. Distillery and began distilling bourbon. Unlike other distilleries at the time, Brown aged his bourbon, which was named Old Forester, in oak casks and bottled it in a sealed glass bottle to ensure authenticity and quality. Since its introduction in 1870, Old Forester has been on the market continuously, even during Prohibition, when it continued to be sold for medicinal purposes. It is the only bourbon continuously distilled and marketed by the founding family before, during and after Prohibition. Old Forester 1870 Original Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is the first release in Old Forester's Whiskey Row Series, which aims to highlight the distillery's significant milestones and production innovations throughout its nearly 150 year history. The whiskey is named for another practice pioneered by George Garvin Brown batch distillation. Brown was the first to batch together bourbons from multiple distilleries in order to ensure consistency of flavor. In homage to Brown's pioneering spirit, Old Forester 1870 Original Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is made by batching together bourbons from various warehouses at the distillery, creating a final product that is greater than the sum of its parts. Old Forester 1870 Original Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey has a lively aroma of caramel apple, vanilla bean and oak, which leads to a palate filled with leather, tobacco and vibrant spices including cinnamon and ginger. The finish is dry and smooth, with notes of oak, candybar and more baking spices. 

Founded as a dry community, Evanston, Illinois was the birthplace of the Women's Temperance Movement and home to Frances Elizabeth Willard, an influential protagonist in the story of Prohibition. As the Temperance Movement approached a boiling point, abstinence slowly began to creep across the country and Willard and her league of temperance supporters turned Evanston into a stronghold. For over 100 years, Evanston remained a dry town. It wasn't until Paul Hletko, owner and master distiller at Few Spirits, began lobbying the town that the antiquated laws were lifted. "I'm the vice president of the PTA at my kids' school and I coach their soccer and T-ball teams," Hletko says. "People around town know me and what I'm about, which is handy when you're looking to change 100 years of laws." Today, hidden down a dark alley in a former chop shop, Hletko and his skilled team are producing another batch of Few Spirits Barrel-Aged Gin. The gin is crafted from a mash of corn, wheat and unmalted barley, which is infused with a secret recipe of botanicals, each individually selected for the way it interacts with wood. As its name suggests, Few Barrel-Aged Gin is laid to rest for four months in five-gallon, new American oak barrels which have been toasted with a #3 char. As a result, the gin has a soft amber color, and a nose filled with liquorice candy, citrus and clove. The palate is earthy and balanced, with flavors of fresh grain and sugar complemented by light, oaky undertones. The finish is soft and delicate, with notes of caramel and brown sugar. Bottled at 93 proof, Few Barrel-Aged Gin earned a Gold Medal from the Beverage Testing Institute, where it was the highest rated gin in the last five years.

According to a 2013 poll by WIN/Gallup International Association, Colombia is the happiest country on earth Parce founders (and brothers) Brian, Jim and Patrick Powers hypothesize that this has something to do with the rum. Upon travelling to Colombia, the three brothers were taken by the country's beauty, culture, and the warmth and hospitality of its people, and they wanted to share the time-honored Colombian tradition of celebrating quality rum with others. "In South America, they would be drinking rum much more as a sipping rum, enjoying the complexity and character Certainly sipping rums have existed here [in the United States], but I dont think there's been much awareness of them, and we thought maybe we could get the sipping rum on the map here, too." The Powers brothers were inspired to go into business together by their father, and they found the perfect partners for their venture in another family business the father-and-son duo of master blenders from Bogota, Colombia, Arthur and Brojen Fenandes Domecq. Together, Arthur and Brojen have over 50 years combined experienced working with rum, and the Domecq family boasts nearly three centuries of history crafting traditional wine, sherry and brandy in the south of Spain (Brojen's grandfather, Jose Ignacio Domecq, was known in the industry as "La Nariz" the nose for his expertise in sniffing and blending). Parce 8 Year Old Straight Colombian Rum is crafted from sugar cane carefully selected from both local (San Cristobal) and foreign (Barbados, Trinidad) sources, all of which is harvested manually every season. Under the guidance of master blenders Arthur and Brojen Fenandes Domecq, the sugar cane is processed and then fermented with natural spring water and homegrown yeast for 36 to 48 hours. Once fermented into "cane wine," the resulting spirit is distilled through a stainless steel, 4-column still each still produces a slightly different unaged spirit for use in the final aging and blending process. The spirit is then transferred to spent, charred American oak casks where it is aged for eight years before being bottled in the lush Andean mountains of Quindo, Colombia. Parce 8 Year Old Straight Colombian Rum has an exquisite aroma of cherries and candied fruit, which leads to a playful palate filled with light vanilla sweetness along with notes of almonds and toasted coconut. The finish is accented by a subtle oakiness and more hints of cherries, dark chocolate, whipped cream and baking spices. Parce 8 Year Old Straight Colombian Rum won a Gold Medal at the 2012 Ministry of Rum Tasting Competition.