🥃 The Whiskey That Said ‘Not Yet’ — Until Now

💥 Opening Pour

Some bottles make it by the calendar.
Others? They wait until the moment is right.
This one waited 15 years — and almost never made it to shelves.

📖 The Story

In 2010, the Henderson family — founders of Angel’s Envy — planned to release a 10-year-old, cask strength bourbon. It was supposed to be their first age-statement bottle. The label was ready. The buzz was real.

But when they tasted it, something felt off. The flavor wasn’t bold enough. The finish wasn’t deep enough. And the family made a rare decision in whiskey: they hit pause.

For 15 years, they waited.

Barrel by barrel, they checked in. And then, in 2025, they found one that finally spoke the right language: loud, rich, and layered like a holiday cake soaked in good rum. A bottle that proved sometimes the best decision is the one you don’t rush.

Angel’s Envy 10 Year Cask Strength wasn’t released when planned —
but now? It’s here, and it’s glorious.

🥇 The Weekly Pour

Bottle: Angel’s Envy 10 Year Cask Strength (2025 Release)
Price: ~$269
Proof: 111.2
Age: 10 years

Nose: Baked cherries, cinnamon toast, and burnt sugar
Palate: Rich oak, fig jam, molasses, and tobacco
Finish: Long, spicy, with leather and vanilla bean that lingers forever

✅ Port barrel finish adds fruity depth
✅ Aged to perfection — no corners cut
✅ The rare case where patience poured better bourbon

🛒 Buy it now → Angel's Envy 10 Year on Quality Liquor Store – $249

🍹The Art of Mixing

Honestly? Skip the shaker.
This is a pour made to stand on its own — maybe with a single cube of clear ice if you must.

But if you must mix…

Winter Velvet Manhattan
Ingredients:

• 2 oz Angel’s Envy 10 Year

• 0.75 oz Carpano Antica vermouth

• 1 dash chocolate bitters

• 1 dash orange bitters

• Luxardo cherry garnish

Instructions:

• Stir ingredients over ice for 20 seconds

• Strain into a chilled coupe

• Garnish with a cherry and twist of orange

Tip: This drink shows off the port-finish complexity beautifully.

🍖 Flavor Pairing Picks

Pair it with:

🍗 Leftover glazed ham sandwiches — The sweet, salty glaze plays beautifully with the port-finished cherry and molasses notes.

🍰 Spiced bread pudding with bourbon sauce — Echoes the whiskey’s warm finish and holiday spice. Bonus points if it’s made from leftover rolls or panettone.

💨 Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story — A short smoke for a slow winter afternoon, rich with cedar and nutmeg to match the whiskey's depth.

🧠 Big Lesson of the Week

In whiskey — and life — waiting isn't weakness.
It’s wisdom.
And when the timing’s right, the pour tells you.

🥂 Final Toast

To the bottles that bide their time, the families who trust their gut, and the sips that come right when we need them most.

🥃 Repeatable Proverb

“Good whiskey waits. Great whiskey whispers when it’s ready.”

📖 The Whiskey Journal Is Here

For those of us who believe every bottle tells a story worth writing down.

I finally released The Art of the Pour Official Whiskey Tasting Journal—the same one I use to jot down:

🖋️ Tasting notes, barrel picks, and “finally cracked it open” moments
🗓️ First pours with friends
🧠 Thoughts that hit halfway through a good pour

🎁 And because I love a good surprise, I’m throwing in a free printable Whiskey Tasting Wheel—yep, the one folks keep asking about from past newsletters.

Already a subscriber? You’re first in line.
👉 Get the Journal + Free Whiskey Wheel

Now Its Your Turn

What's the longest you've waited to open a bottle?
Drop your answer below, save this pour for a cold night, or share with a friend who needs a reason to wait just a little longer. 🍂

Cheers to winter nights, good timing, and pours that tell the truth,

Ethan “Neat” Whitmore

P.S. Next week’s pour is all about the bottle you’ll want to ring in the New Year with — aged with celebration in mind, kissed by fire and finished for fireworks. Expect bubbles, bold flavors, and a story that’ll pop louder than your champagne cork. 🥂🔥