It’s crazy to think that just about a decade ago, downtown Louisville didn’t have a single distillery or bourbon experience to be found. And now, thanks to pioneers like Evan Williams, Old Forester, Michter’s and Angel’s Envy, the city now boasts about a dozen distilleries and plenty of bourbon-soaked adventures for locals and tourists alike.

Angel’s Envy launched its first product in 2011 and opened the doors to its state-of-the-art distillery on Main Street in 2016. And during that very first year or two of introducing the world to the Angel’s Envy brand, the Hendersons, led by co-founder Wes Henderson, decided to come out with a special cask-strength version that would become a rare treat for fans each year.

Well, the 11th annual Angel’s Envy Cask Strength comes out today, and in my opinion, these are truly getting better each and every year.

This year’s release is bottled at 119.8 proof and comes with the fancy wooden case, just like in previous years. And there will be about 17,000 of these released in every U.S. state to spread the bourbon love around.

“Our annual Cask Strength expression is our most highly anticipated annual tradition at Angel’s Envy, both for our team and for our fans, and this year’s release is special – not just because it is an exceptional whiskey, but because it also marks an exciting time in Angel’s Envy’s growth,” said Gigi DaDan, general manager of Angel’s Envy, in a news release. “Looking ahead, we can’t wait to see the unique perspective that our new Master Distiller Owen Martin will bring to the Cask Strength program as he oversees it with the support of our best-in-class production team.”

I was able to try a sample of this year’s release and can attest to its creamy mouthfeel, as the press release describes. It comes off a little hot on first sip, but once you acclimate to the high proof, you get those nice warm flavors of brown sugar, black pepper, citrus and of course a drizzle of caramel.

The Cask Strength retails for $229.99.