Angel’s Envy 2024 Cask Strength Bourbon Review and Tasting With Master Distiller Owen Martin

Angel’s Envy
Cask Strength Bourbon
2024
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Finished in Port Wine Barrels
118.8 Proof
MSRP: $229.99
Review and Tasting With Master Distiller Owen Martin

Please enjoy our Angel’s Envy 2024 Cask Strength Bourbon Review and Tasting With Master Distiller Owen Martin!

The Thirteenth Release of Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon

This year mark’s the 13th annual release of Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon. Furthermore, it is the second release for Master Distiller Owen Martin. In addition, this year’s release offers a new spin on traditional Angel’s Envy Bourbon by introducing a Tawny Port Wine finish blended with the traditional Ruby Port Wine finish.

The Finishing Barrels – Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Owen and a small group of other folks from the media, taste a few Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbons and learn all about this year’s release. For those who aren’t familiar with it, Angel’s Envy Cask Strength is released annually and consists of handpicked barrels of Angel’s Envy Bourbon finished in port wine casks. Each year’s expression is different. For example, the 2023 release, which we had the opportunity to taste, was the most heavily finished version ever released. It consisted of bourbon finished primarily in first fill ruby port barrels, which imparted a dominant port character to the bourbon. In contrast, this year’s Cask Strength Bourbon used a high proportion of second fill barrels, which imparted a softer port character. In addition, the bourbon was allowed to finish in the second fill barrels for a much longer period of time – up to three years – thus allowing those flavors to really mature.

Something Different This Year

The 2024 release of Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon has a major difference from prior releases. In addition to using bourbon finished in Angel’s Envy’s traditional ruby port wine barrels, bourbon finished in tawny port barrels was also included. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, each year’s Cask Strength Bourbon is different, and using a different type of port barrel for finishing certainly checks that box. Second, starting last year, with the 2023 release, Owen held back some barrels to use in the this year’s release. That practice will continue for the foreseeable future, and allows the melding of the character of the previous batch with the new one. Since the 2023 release was heavily finished, with full port wine flavor and tannins, Owen decided to add the tawny port finished bourbon to this year’s batch to provide some brighter red fruit notes and soften the flavors.

Angel’s Envy Distillate

Another important difference between the 2023 and 2024 Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon releases compared with all the preceding ones is that the 2023 & 2024 releases contain Angel’s Envy’s own distillate. Prior to that time, their own distillate was not mature enough to be used. However, now it is. Therefore, the 2023 release contained approximately 50% of Angel’s Envy’s own distillate, and this year it contains approximately 70%.

The Specifics: Angel’s Envy 2024 Cask Strength Bourbon

This year, the base bourbon consists of approximately one third each of 2018 and 2016 Angel’s Envy Bourbons, with the remaining third being 2012 and 2015 sourced bourbons. In addition, 20% of the final blend is the 20 barrels that were saved from the 2023 release. As for the finishing barrels, 3/4 of them were the traditional ruby port barrels, and 1/4 were the new for this year tawny port barrels. The finishing barrels are a combination of first and second fill barrels. Finish times were around 6 months for the first fill barrels and up to 3 years for the second fill barrels.

Tasting Notes – Angel’s Envy 2024 Cask Strength Bourbon Review

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻Nose: Red wine notes with dark grapes and plums; mild dry oak, hot cinnamon & rye spices; toffee; alcohol vapor less than expected for the proof
👉🏻Taste: Red wine, brown sugar, tart orange peel, hot cinnamon, dry oak
👉🏻Finish: Considerable spice that crescendos and lasts; lingering red wine and mild sweetness; tart orange citrus; subtle char and cinnamon later on; long with a pleasant burn

At first, the nose of Angel’s Envy 2024 Cask Strength Bourbon is mildly sweet with red wine notes of dark grapes and plums. Once I am acclimated to the fruit, there is contrasting hot cinnamon, tart orange peel, dry oak and rye spices, such as cloves. The alcohol vapor is less than expected for the proof. Later on, after a couple of sips, some rich toffee becomes noticeable.

The taste has red wine notes with brown sugar, tart orange peel, and dry oak. In addition, fairly rapidly developing and lasting hot cinnamon spice continues into the finish. However, mild red wine notes and sweetness, and also tart orange, persist, as well. Still later, subtle barrel char and cinnamon linger for quite some time in the long finish. Ultimately, I am left with a pleasant warmth.

An Interesting Progression of Flavors in the Nose

The progression of flavors in the nose is quite interesting. Initially, the wine-like fruit notes of dark grapes and plums are quite dominant. However, soon other flavors appear. Next up are the spicier and more tart flavors of hot cinnamon, tart orange, dry oak and rye spices. Finally, what came as a surprise, is the rich toffee that becomes noticeable after I take a few sips. I’m not sure where it came from, as it definitely wasn’t there from the start. The toffee notes also become evident in the taste later on, as well.

Some Similarities to Angel’s Envy Bottled In Bond Bourbon

The pleasant hot cinnamon spice that is present throughout is reminiscent of one of the flavors that I noted in Angel’s Envy’s recently released Bottled In Bond bourbon. But, that’s not surprising. The Bottled In Bond Bourbon is 100% Angel’s Envy’s own distillate, without the added effects of any finishing barrels. Since Angel’s Envy 2024 Cask Strength Bourbon contains 70% of their own distillate, similar flavors to the Bottled In Bond would certainly not be unexpected. (You can follow the link to read my Angel’s Envy Bottled in Bond Bourbon Review.)

Summary

Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon is similar, yet different, from its predecessors, due to the addition of the tawny port finished bourbon. As expected, it is full of flavor, yet drinks below its 118 proof. The port finish is noticeable, bar far from overpowering. If you enjoy a well-balanced red wine finished bourbon, then Angels Envy 2024 Cask Strength Bourbon is one to try! Have you had it? What did you think? Cheers!🥃

We hope you have enjoyed our Angel’s Envy 2024 Cask Strength Bourbon Review! Read about some other Angel’s Envy Bourbons in my Angel’s Envy Bourbon Review, my Angel’s Envy Triple Oak Review and my Angel’s Envy Cellar Collection Vol 5 Review (2025)!. Read more about the distillery in our Angel’s Envy Distillery Tour. Also, read our latest Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon 2026 Review!

Note: The tasting experience and sample were graciously provided by the Distillery.

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