Unique Bourbon Now Available in South Carolina

Bourbon lovers got a chance to try a newcomer to the bourbon scene Saturday afternoon.

Donohue's Fine Wine and Spirits hosted a tasting of Angels Envy.

Angels Envy is now available in South Carolina, and Wes Henderson came out to Donohue's to introduce consumers to his father's brainchild.

Lincoln Henderson is the company's Master Distiller and is a heavy hitter in the bourbon world.

A member of the Bourbon Hall of Fame, Lincoln Henderson worked at Brown Forman, the parent company of Jack Daniels and Woodford Reserve, Wes Henderson said.

“He's been in the business for over a half a century now,” Wes said.

Mike Donohue showed customers a bottle of Woodford Reserve that has Lincoln Henderson's signature on the back.

“Then he retired and started Angels Envy,” Wes said.

Though the Angels Envy brand is only about a year and a half old, the company says the idea was distilling in Lincoln Henderson's head long before it became a reality.

Wes Henderson spoke to customers about what sets Angels Envy apart from other bourbons.

“It's the only bourbon in the world that comes from port wine casks,” he said. “In order to be a bourbon, it has to be aged in new oak barrels, so we start out for the first 6-8 years in a new charred oak barrel. Then after it's matured, we put in a port cask for about six months, for what we call the finishing process. We finish it for six months in the port barrels.

“That's something you see in a lot of single-malt scotches, different barrel finishes,” Wes continued. “But it's never been done with bourbons. So we know it works real well with single malt scotches, so we thought that the same thing would be really great for bourbon, and lo and behold it has been.”

He said the company is looking at other types of barrels to use to expand its line.

“We've got a cask strength that's coming out this year and we're looking at a rye whiskey that's coming out next year,” Wes said. “We're a small company. We're an independent family brand so we kind of have to take things slow.”

“It's a unique type bourbon,” said distributor Dan Lang, of Angels Envy. “You get a smoother taste out of it.”

Henderson said the use of port barrels gives the bourbon its “wonderful mouthfeel and texture.”

“That's what people talk about more than anything is how smooth this bourbon is,” he said.

“We knew what it would taste like, but we didn't know it would have that mouthfeel,” Wes said. “The microscopic little pieces of grape, that's what coats your palate. That was purely luck. Producing good bourbon is science, skill and a little bit of luck.”

Wes said his dad “is probably one of the top experts in the world in wood as it relates to bourbon.”

“Between the yeast and the barrels, those are probably the two most important things when it comes to making bourbons and whiskeys,” Wes said.

Why is the bourbon called Angels Envy?

“There's a phrase in spirits called, 'the angels' share,'” Wes said. “You put bourbon in barrels and it sits in warehouses. Every year, you lose about 2-4, maybe 5 percent to evaporation. The evaporation, as it goes into the air, you're sharing that with the angels. That's the angels' share.

He said the angels' share is “a very important part of making bourbon.”
“For years, bourbon manufacturers have tried to cut down on that, because you're losing alcohol - that's money that's evaporating,” Wes said. “But really, at the end of the day, what we've learned is without the angels' share you really don't have good bourbon. That's an indication that you've got a really good maturation going on in that barrel. So you want to lose that.

“So the angels get their share – but they don't get it all, though, so they're envious about what they don't get,” Wes said. “So that's the Angels Envy. They'd like more, but we're not going to give it to them.”

He said Donohue's “is perfect for our type of brand.”

“They know spirits,” Wes said. “They hand sell. They know the stories behind the brands. They help their customers pick out things they like and maybe try things new. This is the perfect place for us to be, because of that.”

The company is based just outside of Louisville, Kentucky. Wes said they hope to join the famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour in the near future.

For more information, visit www.AngelsEnvy.com or www.louisvilledistilling.com.