The Angel’s Nectar Collection produced by Highfern is inspired by evaporation – namely the angel’s share. But rather than attempting to provide customers with either captured alcoholic fumes, or an entirely empty bottle, Angel’s Nectar pins its colours to the suggestion of enjoying the indulgences that the angels take from the myriad casks maturing across Scotland. We don’t dig into the concept anymore – it makes for a nice enough story and brand design.
The ‘original’ bottling in the Angel’s Nectar Collection is a blend of both Speyside and Highland malts. Bottled at 40% ABV, it’s available directly currently for £28.99 via the Distillers Direct website (oddly listed with "Japanese" in the url)
Nose: Delicate and grassy. Clover honey, fresh green apples and white grapes sit with dried grasses and reeds, whilst golden cereals are joined by vanilla toffee cream and a sprinkle of desiccated coconut.
Taste: The arrival offers a quite satisfactory level of mouth cling for the minimum ABV. Barley notes are up first – oat cakes and breakfast cereals – followed by orchard fruits and scattering of lemon peels. Butterscotch sauce and creamy toffee are balanced against fresh field notes of pressed flowers and air-dried grass, whilst vanilla essence joins light toasted oak.
Finish: Relatively short with a tingle of white pepper, fading toffee notes and well-controlled oakiness.
Angel’s Nectar is a straight-forward but well-composed blend that presents an ideal steppingstone for drinkers looking to move away from supermarket blended fare. The fact that the £30 price has not increased since the bottle’s release in 2014 is a testament to retaining this positioning.
Review sample provided by Highfern