Episode 209. Wes Henderson – Co-Founder and Chief Innovations Officer, Angel’s Envy® Distillery

Wes Henderson co-created Angel’s Envy craft bourbon.

Wes Henderson is a prominent figure in the American bourbon industry, best known as the co-creator of Angel’s Envy, a highly regarded Kentucky bourbon brand. The bourbon is unique for its port wine barrel finishing, a technique that Henderson helped popularize in the American whiskey industry.

Background:

• Family Legacy: Wes Henderson is the son of Lincoln Henderson, a master distiller and bourbon legend who was instrumental in the creation of Woodford Reserve. Together, Wes and his father launched Angel’s Envy in 2010. The brand quickly gained recognition for its innovation in barrel finishing, particularly its use of port barrels, which impart unique flavor characteristics to the whiskey.
• Angel’s Envy: Initially a passion project for the Henderson family, Angel’s Envy became one of the fastest-growing bourbon brands in the industry. Its flagship product is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon finished in port barrels, which gives it a distinct, rich, and slightly sweet profile. Wes Henderson was instrumental in bringing the brand to market and overseeing its expansion.

Role and Contributions:

• As co-creator, Wes helped shape the brand’s identity and was responsible for much of its operational and business strategies. He worked closely with his father, Lincoln, until his passing in 2013, after which Wes assumed a larger leadership role in the company.
• In addition to his role at Angel’s Envy, Wes Henderson has become a respected figure in the bourbon community, frequently speaking at industry events and advocating for innovative approaches in bourbon making.

Expansion and Legacy:

Angel’s Envy has since expanded to include several limited-edition releases, including a rum barrel-finished rye and various small-batch offerings. The brand was eventually acquired by Bacardi, but Wes Henderson continued to play a key role in the company’s operations and ongoing innovation.

Wes Henderson’s contributions to Angel’s Envy and the broader bourbon industry have made him a key player in the resurgence of American bourbon as a leading global spirit. His influence is felt both in his creative approach to whiskey production and in his leadership in the next generation of Kentucky bourbon distillers.

Wes co-founded Louisville Distilling Company with his father, Lincoln. His father and his son Kyle developed Angel’s Envy, the craft bourbon that spends its final six months of aging in used port wine barrels. In 2012, their bourbon earned the highest ever rating for bourbon from Wine Enthusiast magazine. (Side note: His father helped develop Woodford Reserve® for Brown-Forman.)

Before Louisville Distilling, Wes served as CEO for Master Distiller Select LLC and was responsible for distilled spirits consulting services. Before that, he was the president and CEO of Conecuh Ridge Distillery – a brand that enjoyed favorable mainstream recognition.

He received his education from the College of Aeronautics at the Florida Institute of Technology. He resides in Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife Julie and his six sons. Two of his sons work with Wes at Angel’s Envy, setting the stage for the third Henderson generation to carry on Angel’s Envy tradition.