Sometimes you pick out a single barrel of whiskey as part of a sales trip or a large sample tasting and—when the whiskey finally arrives—it doesn’t taste quite as good as it did in that initial moment.

There are also times when the whiskey shows up and it tastes far better than you remember, completely exceeding your expectations, and leading to joyful exaltations and happy dances.

I’m happy to report that the latter experience is what happened to me yesterday, as I finally popped a bottle of our new Angel’s Envy 55% ABV single Port cask and tasted what is, by far, the best single barrel of Bourbon we’ve chosen this year at Mission Wine & Spirits.

Of course, as we all know (and as I’ve spent countless hours lamenting), flavor isn’t what sells whiskey anymore. Specs are what sells whiskey today: high ABV numbers, older age statements, specific rickhouse details, etc. Hence, I’m expecting some Bourbon fans to be enticed by the 55% ABV, but perhaps less excited by the lack of an age statement.

But if you actually drink your whiskey, rather than flip it on social media, this is all good news for you because we still have plenty of inventory as a result. And, let me tell you, you’re going to want multiples. I popped this bottle with my friends (and customers) Alan and Brian last night, and Alan said flat out: “If you lift the two bottle per customer limit I’ll buy ten more right now.”

So I did. And now it’s open season (and Alan did indeed buy 12 total bottles).

What’s so special about this barrel? The fact that the higher than normal ABV mellows out some of the sweetness from the Port influence, rendering it more like a light layer of frosting on a Bourbon cake, rather than a fruit filling. It’s so ridiculously supple, like a liquid Christmas cookie in your mouth, moving between cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla, but that candied red fruit influence remains firmly around the edges. It’s never overly sweet and it doesn’t taste like a dessert whiskey.

As Alan noted: “Some single barrel whiskies need to be proofed down in order to find the sweet spot. This one is absolutely perfect at 55% ABV.”

“Would you even think this was 110 proof if you didn’t know?” I asked in response.

“Not a chance,” he replied; “It goes down too easy.”

As soon as I’m back at work, I’m buying three more for myself. And I never buy multiples. It’s not in my nature.

But some whiskies are so delicious, so pleasing, and so satisfying, they require additional inventory. This is one of those whiskies.

-David Driscoll