It seems there’s no shortage of enthusiasm among Angel’s Envy Guardians’ tight-knit community – and for good reason. The premium product has something to stand out, including the unique name. It’s a derivative of a playful whiskey industry term, the “angel’s share”, which refers to the portion of whiskey that inevitably evaporates during aging. The story goes that founder Lincoln Henderson dubbed an early batch of his new whiskey “Angel’s Envy” (since “angels” couldn’t drink it).
Another standout feature of Angel’s Envy spirits keeps keepers busy explaining the nuances. Similar to Scotch production, bourbons go through a secondary finishing process in port barrels after being aged in the new charred American oak barrels required for any bourbon.
In addition to education and product information, Guardians stand up for Angel’s Envy social and environmental programs, including its Toast the Trees project. Using social media, individual tutors encourage drinkers to like, share and follow the brand in exchange for the company planting up to 65,000 new white oak trees for future barrel making. In the YouTube video above, co-founder Wes Henderson calls their Whiskey Guardians “incomparable” and some of the best bartenders in the business, those who are passionate about Angel’s Envy, whiskey and doing the right things in their own communities. “I can’t imagine not having them with us on this trip,” he says.