Angel’s Envy Distillery Story

let’s begin

They may have started out life in a basement, but Angel’s Envy Distillery have quickly risen up the ranks to become one of America’s best loved Bourbon makers.

Starting from the bottom

Angel’s Envy Distillery is a family run distillery that started as an idea.

Lincoln Henderson was a well known name in the Bourbon industry, having been Master Distiller at multiple brands for Brown-Forman over the years, notably Woodford Reserve. He was even awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by Malt Advocate.

Angel’s Envy is his brainchild, and he came out of retirement in 2011 to work with his son Wes on starting the brand.

Today, after Lincoln passed away in 2013, the distillery is still run by Wes and his son Kyle.

Defying tradition

Lincoln’s idea was a simple one but one that goes against hundreds of years of traditional Bourbon distilling. The idea was to mature Bourbon in Port casks, instead of new American oak casks.

The Scotch enthusiasts out there, this won’t seem like a big deal at all, but to Bourbon purists, it is. Bourbon by definition has to be matured in new charred oak casks, so the idea of adding another cask to the process was pretty mind blowing to Bourbon fans, and initially there was a lot of backlash.

But with Lincoln and his years of knowledge and dedication, it was easy to explain the idea and the passion for creating something new.

Progress

The brand have become well loved and well known, despite initial fears surrounding the process of finishing Bourbon.

They now have three finishes; Port, Rum and Sherry and have released a Cask Strength edition, with the idea of eventually releasing a straight Bourbon that hasn’t been finished in the future.

Angel’s Envy have created some really exciting additions to the Bourbon world and pushed the category into embracing change for the better.

We’re going to keep a close eye on anything they’ve got coming out and to see what other innovation they bring to the Bourbon world.

What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below and let’s have a chat!

Tags: AmericaAngel's EnvyAngel’s Envy DistilleryBourbons

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.