Booze Clues: Why Angel's Envy Should be All you Drink this Weekend

Firmly Rooted

If you follow us on Instagram, you caught the recent revival of our #TIPsyTuesday series, in which we share fun tips and tidbits about a particular spirit. This round was dedicated to bourbon, and we turned to our favorite Angel's Envy Whiskey Guardian, Becca Pesce (@misswhiskeyprincess) for intel. When we started this blog ten years ago, we were under the common misconception that a whiskey could not be called bourbon unless it was made in Kentucky. Guess what...

According to Becca, "while 99% of bourbon is made in Kentucky- legally, it just has to be American.  Angel’s Envy is made in Louisville, Kentucky at our new home on 500 Main St." 

Becca also informed us that after aging, the only thing you can add to bourbon is distilled water.  No caramel coloring.  No “wood flavorings.” No Sugar.  So 100% of the color and flavor of bourbon comes from the mashbill (the makeup of grains) and aging process. You should know that lots of brands add extras to their product for the sake of "consistency," but they can't call themselves bourbon. And now you understand why certain whiskeys taste so similar to bourbon but aren't labeled as such. Speaking of mashbills... 

For a liquid to be called bourbon, it has to contain at least 51% corn. Angel’s Envy's unique blend uses 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% malted barley. "Corn provides that nice, sweet bourbon backbone. The Rye imparts a nice cinnamon spice to it, and there’s an enzyme in malted barley that speeds up the fermentation process, so we use 10% to have a completely natural fermentation," says Becca. A large part of the flavor also comes from the barrels, though- up to 60%, according to various bourbon producers.

A few compouds present in American oak- tannins, lignins, lactones, and vanillin- are largely responsible for the flavor notes in the bourbon we drink.

We usually hear of tannins when referencing wine, but they affect the flavor of bourbon, as well. They're also found in tea and walnuts, and they slowly seep into the spirit as it ages, imparting a dry, spicy flavor. American oak is lighter in tannins than European oak, so it gives bourbon a softer, less astringent mouthfeel. Lignins help the spirit to absorb vanillin, which gives the whiskey a vanilla, or marzipan flavor. American wood is higher in lactones, so this will give a buttery and creamy mouthfeel, as well as notes of toasted coconut.

Bourbon is aged in charred new american oak.  It takes between 85-90 years for an oak tree to mature to the point where you can use it as a barrel, and you can only get up to four barrels from one tree. The char on the inside of the barrels gets rid of impurities, and helps the cooper to be able to shape the barrel. Number 3 and 4 char are the most commonly used levels for bourbon producers.  At this level of char, the wood sugars caramelize at the surface of the barrel and are in constant contact with the whiskey through the aging process. Clearly, oak trees are integral to the bourbon industry, so Angel's Envy is doing its part to help replace the wood it uses. 

Every September, Angel’s Envy teams up with the Arbor Day Foundation for Toast the Trees.  For every picture taken of an Angel’s Envy bottle, cocktail, on the rocks, neat pour, (etc.), that is posted online with the hashtag #ToastTheTrees, they will plant an oak tree the following spring in Daniel Boone National Forest.  In 2017, they planted 12,030 trees, which was the first year they planted more trees than they used.  This year they’re going for 20,000 trees. Now you know why there's a little picture of an Angel's Envy bottle in each of our posted images! Also, now you know why you should (responsibly) drink and post lots of Angel's Envy this weekend. 

Oh! Be on the lookout for their newly released 2018 Cask Strength Bourbon Finished in Port Barrels. We got to taste the limited-edition liquid earlier this week at an intimate event in New York, and it's pretty tasty. The port barrel finish gives it notes of cherries and raisins, which will be delightful as the temperatures cool. It's also incredibly smooth for 124 proof. Only 12,000 bottles will be sold in select markets, and it retails for around $199. 

Booze Clues: Fun Facts about Italian Wine for Ferragosto

The Italian holiday Ferragosto celebrates the harvest season and summer in general. Though introduced by the emperor Augustus in 18 BC, it also coincides with the Catholic feast of Assumption of Mary, so for many it has religious significance as well as cultural. Since it occurs in mid-August (seeing a pattern with that root word yet?), which is the summer vacation period in Italy, celebrations can last from one day to a couple of weeks. The festivities begin on August 15th. In Italy, there will be picnics, fireworks, religious observances and– most importantly for this crowd– the sharing of delicious food and great wine.

If you're in the New York area, you can also join the celebration at iTrulli, where there will be a special Ferragosto-inspired lunch menu designed to feature foods traditionally enjoyed and shared during the festivities. Think panzerotti, octupus, caprese salad, meatballs, etc. Plus, the Marzovilla Family, makers of Barone Fini Wines, are partnering with the restaurant to offer a curated selection of wines to pair with your meal. As an extension of good will, 100% of the proceeds from each glass of Barone Fini purchased will directly benefit the Food Bank for New York City.

We attended a preview of the lunch last week, and it was DELICIOUS! While there, in addition to learning about the celebration of Ferragosto, we also learned quite a bit about north Italian wines, especially those from Barone Fini. The family behind the brand has been making wine since 1497 and has become an authority on the process of creating exceptional Pinot Grigio and Merlot. Our editor couldn't help but swoon as a fellow Leo and 15th-generation family member Giovanni Bonmartini-Fini guided attendees through the tasting. Of course, the experience inspired a few #TIPsyTuesday posts. If you didn't catch them on our Instagram, Facebook or twitter, here they are:



Looks like we all need to pay a little attention to labels. Granted, there are some amazing Pinot Grigio wines from various places, but we'd like to think the best of the best would come from its home country.

Be mindful when you're wine shopping. Many times, the higher the classification, the higher the price (because the assumption is that the wine is better). However, often, there are I.G.T. wines with quality levels at or above those of D.O.C. wines, especially in certain grape varietals.

*Bonus Fact: Because part of northern Italy was once actually part of Austria, white wines from that region, especially in the Alto Adige area, will have flavors similar to German or Austrian wines.

Now that you've gotten a little primer on Italian wines, do you feel more comfortable in the wine shop? Do you have questions we can pass on to Giovanni?

Booze Clues: How to Do the Kentucky Chew

Be Sure to Chew your Bourbon

A week or so ago, our editor attended a launch event at the Goorin Brothers Hat Shop in NYC's West Village for The Harper, a limited-edition premium felt fedora created in partnership with I.W. Harper Kentucky Straight Bourbon.

While there, in addition to sipping cocktails and getting fitted for our her Harper hat, Nafeesa had an opportunity to taste I.W. Harper's recently-released 15 Year Old liquid, compare it with the flavor of their Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and to chat about all things bourbon with New York Master of Whiskey, Ryan Ross. As the two discussed the I.W. Harper brand legacy (it's one of the oldest bourbon brands and actually ceased US sales for 20 years before returning recently, though it was continually in production and sold overseas) and the flavor notes in both liquids, another attendee joined the conversation and inquired about the tasting process. Ryan introduced him to the "Kentucky Chew" and consequently inspired this week's #TIPsyTuesday posts on Instagram and Twitter. If you missed the posts yesterday, here they are:

We know... sometimes it's hard to resist. However, if you're taking shots of aged or premium bourbon, you're wasting it. For some, it's an acquired taste, but the category has a rapidly-growing female fan base. Experiment with different brands and ages... you'll soon find your favorite sipper.

Your nose actually experiences the things you eat and drink before your taste buds even come into contact with them, this affects the way your taste buds's perception.

Your tongue has various different flavor zones that work together to create a full perception. Keep this in mind when tasting bourbon, other spirits and wine. And now... here's how you do the "Kentucky Chew"... 

This is only one tasting method. It' probably the most widely known, but there are a number of others used by professionals and connoisseurs within the spirits world. Now that you know the proper way to taste bourbon, go out and share your knowledge... and remember friends don't let friends do shots of good bourbon.

Oh yeah... here's The Harper:

 

Expect to see it on Nafeesa's head pretty often once the temps start to drop outside.

Booze Clues: 5 Fun Facts about Rum

Hey Sugar!

Yesterday, we introduced our #TIPsyTuesday series on Instagram, twitter and Facebook, where we share information, tips and fun facts about wine, spirits and cocktails. Having recently enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of complimentary Appleton Estate Rum cocktails and Caribbean cuisine at New York's Solomon & Kuff Rum Hall while learning about the history and future of one of Jamaica's key exports, we figured rum would make a great starting point. If you missed our posts, here are the tidbits of trivia we shared (plus a couple of extras).

As many of us know, sugar became a major crop throughout the southern United States and Carribean. (Unfortunately, the sweet stuff was also a key component of the transatlantic slave trade.) 

Throughout history, rum, gin, whisky and  American whiskey have been used as forms of payment, even until the early 1900s in some places. (We still work for booze sometimes here, hehe.) Rum, especially, has been used to pay sailors, soldiers, farmers, day laborers and sometimes even slaves.

We must say this was a happy accident. Had it not happened, there would be no such thing as a daiquiri, a mojito or a piña colada (and that would basically ruin summer).

Very often, spirits are produced in areas with a large presence of limestone because the trace minerals in the water impart a fresh, slightly sweet taste. That, in turn, means the spirit will also have a more pleasant flavor.

The byproducts and waste are mostly used to further fuel operations at the estate to ensure a more eco-responsible production process.

Joy Spence, seen here with the newly unveiled Appleton Estate 50 Year Old, is the Master Blender at Appleton Estate and is also the first woman to be appointed Master Blender in the world (#blackgirlmagic).

Oh... we got to blend our own bitters at the event. Our mixture is currently resting in a cool, dry place, but stay tuned to our Instagram to see if we did a good job or not, and in the meantime, if you're in New York be sure to stop by Solomon & Kuff.