Angel's Envy Distillery: Louisville Bourbon Finished in Port and Rum Casks
Angel's Envy is a Louisville, Kentucky bourbon and rye brand built on secondary finishing. Founded by Bourbon Hall of Fame member and Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson, it matures whiskey in charred oak, then moves it to a second cask. In 2016 it opened the first full production whiskey distillery on Louisville's Whiskey Row since Prohibition.
At a glance
Location: downtown Louisville, Kentucky, on Whiskey Row
Founder: Lincoln Henderson, Bourbon Hall of Fame member
Master Distiller: Owen Martin, appointed in the fall of 2022
Distillery opened: 2016, the first full production distillery on Whiskey Row since Prohibition (official site)
Signature technique: secondary finishing in casks such as port, rum, sauternes and toasted oak
Company name on the site: Louisville Distilling Co LLC
Visiting: tours, tastings and cocktail classes, plus event spaces
Official website: angelsenvy.com
The story
The official story begins with Lincoln Henderson and a different idea of how to finish whiskey. Angel's Envy matures bourbon and rye in charred oak barrels, then transfers it to secondary finishing casks. The name comes from the angel's share, the roughly 5% of spirit lost to evaporation each year during ageing. After tasting the finished whiskey, Henderson joked that they had finally struck a better deal than the angels.
The people
Lincoln Henderson: founder and original Master Distiller
Owen Martin: a Kansas City native who became Master Distiller in the fall of 2022. Before that he was head distiller at Stranahan's in Colorado, according to Wikipedia's Stranahan's article.
The range
The official site organises its whiskeys into collections. Items seen on 20 October 2026:
Signature Series: Port Wine Finished Bourbon, Rum Cask Finished Rye and Triple Oak
Cask Strength: a yearly edition, with the 14th edition 2025 bourbon finished in port wine barrels
Cellar Collection: Volume 6 for 2026, a rye finished in peach brandy and toasted oak casks
Other collections named: Distillery Series, Single Barrel Bourbon and Bottled in Bond
Recognition and community
The home page says Angel's Envy is ranked the world's best selling ultra premium bourbon by volume, citing IWSR for 2020 to 2025. This is a brand claim.
The distillery says it won a Tripadvisor 2025 Travelers' Choice Award for its tours.
Since 2014 its Toast the Trees programme, with the Arbor Day Foundation, has planted thousands of trees in national forests and urban communities.
500 Main is its members club, offering priority event tickets, early access to releases and birthday perks.
Angel's Envy FAQ
Who founded Angel's Envy?
Lincoln Henderson, a Bourbon Hall of Fame member and Master Distiller.
Who is the Angel's Envy master distiller?
Owen Martin, appointed in the fall of 2022.
Where is Angel's Envy made?
In downtown Louisville, Kentucky, at a distillery that opened in 2016 on Whiskey Row.
What does secondary finishing mean?
Whiskey matures first in charred oak barrels, then moves to a second cask type for a finishing period. Angel's Envy uses casks that held port, rum, sauternes and other wines and spirits.
Who owns Angel's Envy?
The official site names Louisville Distilling Co LLC as the company. Its image library is hosted on a Bacardi content hub, which points to Bacardi, but no ownership statement was read, so confirm before publishing.
Sources and gaps
Sources read on 20 October 2026: the Angel's Envy official home page and Our Story page. Wikipedia has no article under this title.
Gaps for Filip: owner not stated, ABVs, still types, mash bills, capacity, prices and tour times not verified, and the founding year of the brand is not on the pages read. Set the URL slug by hand and add a cover image. Whisky Clan does not publish tasting notes in its distillery profiles.
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