Perusing my bourbon options, I selected a bottle of Angel’s Envy Triple Oak Bourbon for the evening’s pour. As for the cigar, I debated a bit before settling on an Aganorsa Leaf Aniversario Maduro Toro. Refreshments in hand, I headed outside to the sound of rainfall. Fortunately, the front porch offers good cover from the elements.
The Aganorsa Leaf Aniversario Maduro is a cigar I picked up back in February during a visit to the Long Ridge Cigar Lounge. Once a limited edition, it’s now a regular offering in the Aganorsa lineup. The 6 x 54 box-pressed Toro is a Nicaraguan puro, featuring a Nicaraguan Shade Grown Maduro wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers, all cultivated on Aganorsa’s own farms. The black and silver bands, along with a tissue paper sleeve, add an elegant touch to the cigar’s appearance — but of course, you can’t smoke the packaging.
The Aniversario Maduro delivered notes of dark chocolate and coffee, with a toffee-like sweetness balancing the profile. I didn’t detect as much pepper spice as I recalled from a previous cigar, though that difference might be due to the time of day; this was an evening smoke, whereas the earlier one was enjoyed in the morning.
Initially, the cigar struggled to maintain good smoke output. I needed to double- and triple-puff frequently, and touch flame to the foot a few times. Fortunately, about an inch and a half in, the burn stabilized and the smoke output became plentiful and flavorful all the way to the finish.
Angel’s Envy Triple Oak Bourbon is a new release from the distillery, debuting in late 2024. The unique finishing process begins with an initial maturation of four to six years in new American white oak barrels. Afterward, the aged bourbon is portioned to undergo secondary finishing in three different oak casks: 20% in French Oak for at least three months, 40% in Chinkapin Oak for at least six months, and 40% in Hungarian Oak for six or more months. This kind of complex blending and aging is still somewhat rare in the industry. Barrell Bourbon and Old Elk are two other producers that do similar blending, and as a fan of both, I held high hopes for this Angel’s Envy expression.
On the nose, faint aromas of spiced cookies and vanilla emerged. On the palate, the bourbon was somewhat dry and oak-forward, offering hints of cinnamon, vanilla, and tobacco, along with a mild caramel sweetness. Despite the oak-heavy profile, the Triple Oak Bourbon is well-balanced. At a moderate 92 proof, it’s an easy sipper. Even better, it appears to be readily available in most markets.
The pairing of Angel’s Envy Triple Oak Bourbon and the Aganorsa Leaf Aniversario Maduro made for a richly flavorful combination. As the gentle rain continued, I was entertained by the buzzing of hummingbirds visiting the feeder just behind my head. The diminutive birds seemed unbothered by my presence.
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