Overview: A new Angel’s Envy bourbon release has entered the market featuring a secondary maturation in stout beer and Amburana barrels. Robb Report critic Jonah Flicker describes the resulting spirit as a cask-finishing experiment gone awry, noting the profile is very strange. The review was published on August 30, 2026.
The Full Story
Stout barrels were sourced from Trellis Brewing in Louisville and Goose Island in Chicago. According to a brand representative, master distiller Owen Martin utilized a 40/60 split between first-fill and second-fill stout barrels. The whiskey spent between six and 24 months in those casks for the secondary maturation.
There are also Amburana barrels involved in the blend. The whiskey spent just a month in these casks, and it comprises only 1 percent of the final blend. This is distinct from regular Angel’s Envy bourbon, which is finished in port barrels. The review assigns a score of 82 to the spirit.
The critic revisited the whiskey several times to see if his opinion might change as he got more familiar with it. His feeling remained the same—this just isn’t a whiskey he really wants to drink.
Production & Profile
Earthy, musty aromas greet the nose when the glass is first raised. On the palate, notes include earthy cinnamon, Hershey’s chocolate, root beer, R.C. Cola, bitter licorice, Mexican mole, and cherry syrup. The release is bottled at 100-proof.
Brand & Industry History
Amburana is a type of wood from Brazil that is often used to age cachaça. It has also been used to age American whiskey over the past few years. Other brands and distilleries have tried it out, including WhistlePig, Penelope Bourbon, Barrell Craft Spirits, Starlight, Rare Character, and Hard Truth.
What This Means
The critic notes that while experimentation is supported, this whiskey does not provide the smack-you-in-the-tongue quality of most Amburana finishes. It is not meant to be like the port-finished Angel’s Envy bourbon. Kudos are given to Martin for taking a chance here, though the result remains perplexing.
Consumer Takeaway
This bottle offers a unique 100-proof whiskey with a small percentage of Amburana-finished spirit in the mix. It is solid and reliable enough for everyday drinking according to the scoring scale, but may not appeal to those seeking thrilling results from this specific wood finish.
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