The Angels may want a bigger cut of this Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished in Port Wine Barrels.
Angel’s Envy is a Louisville-based craft distiller that produces award-winning whiskeys each of which is finished in secondary barrels to add a distinct layer of flavor and complexity. The result is a premium bourbon with a nuanced and balanced profile.
The distillery was co-founded in 2010 by the legendary, late Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson and his son Wes Henderson. In 2003, he received the Malt Advocate Life-time Achievement Award. In 2001, he was inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame–where his son Wes joined him in 2019.
Angel’s Envy began as a passion project that combined the Henderson family’s deep-rooted industry knowledge with an innovative outlook on bourbon making. Their vision? To become the first bourbon distillery to use secondary barrel finishing–a technique long used to produce Scotch whisky. Though a radical concept at the time of the introduction of Angel’s Envy, it has grown to become common practice in the industry over the past decade. Still, Angel’s Envy remains at the forefront of the movement.
Its restless creators are self-described malcontents who respect and celebrate the bourbon tradition but aren’t shackled to it and know that better still isn’t the best.
What does that mean for whiskey lovers? Angel’s Envy begins its journey as a Kentucky Straight bourbon aged four to six years in new white oak barrels. The secondary finish of six months is spent in French oak Port casks imported from Portugal’s Douro region, lending the whiskey a subtle fruity sweetness.
Angel’s Envy, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished in Port Wine Barrels recently received a Gold Medal from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. It was also given a 98 point ranking from Wine Enthusiast, a 93 point ranking from Whisky Advocate and a five-star rating and highest recommendation from F. Paul Pacult’s Spirit Journal. The high-quality expression is sought-after by whisky enthusiasts, making it the ideal gift this holiday season.
Another element of the Angel’s Envy story is the bottle design. The unique bottle invokes angel wings and pays tribute to whiskey history by drawing inspiration from some of the oldest whiskey bottles in America. This makes it an elegant bar cart addition for whiskey enthusiasts.
The premium liquid can be enjoyed neat or on the rocks yet is rich and complex enough to mix in your favourite cocktails, making it the perfect gift for a discerning bourbon lover. Angel’s Envy pairs its respect and value for long-standing whiskey traditions with an innovative drive towards uncovering the next chapter of bourbon.
