Founded in 2010 by father-son duo Lincoln and Wes Henderson, Angel’s Envy was among the first American whiskey brands to lean into cask finishing; in fact, the brand has since become closely associated with port-cask-finished bourbon. Now, more than 15 years after its founding, the Kentucky-based brand and distillery is celebrating a new milestone: its first age-stated whiskey, Angel’s Envy 10 Cask Strength.

Early on, Angel’s Envy established its reputation on both cask finishing and astutely blended whiskey sourced from other distilleries. At the higher end of its offerings was the Cask Strength line, introduced in 2012 as an annual release of port-finished Kentucky bourbon in an uncut format. It’s generally among the distillery’s most limited expressions, with the initial batch totaling about 600 bottles. (Releases have since grown to more than 20,000 bottles.)

By the time Angel’s Envy was acquired by Bacardi in 2015, Cask Strength had become one of the brand’s most sought-after products. Although the company opened its own Louisville-based distillery in 2016, certain contemporary releases — such as Cask Strength — still include whiskey from other producers, sometimes blended with in-house distillate.

Angel’s Envy 10 Cask Strength continues that line, but with an important distinction. Listed as “Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey finished in port wine barrels,” it’s the brand’s first product to specify an age statement, with 10 years of cumulative aging across new charred oak and port wine barrels. Since Angel’s Envy Distillery opened in 2016, we can assume all bourbon in this 10-year release is sourced from other distillers in the Bluegrass State.

“Angel’s Envy 10 Cask Strength represents more than just a decade of aging — it embodies the dedication, precision, and passion that our team pours into every bottle,” says Owen Martin, Angel’s Envy’s Master Distiller. “I’m incredibly proud of how this expression pushes the boundaries of what we’ve achieved with our cask releases, balancing bold cask strength. It’s a milestone that reflects both our journey and the artistry that goes into every step of crafting a whiskey worth savoring.”

Speaking exclusively with Food & Wine, Martin outlined how he and his team used different port barrels to modify flavor in the bourbon, which was initially sourced from other Kentucky distilleries.

“The base bourbon for this release was originally distilled in 2014 and 2015, and it represents some of the earliest stocks we identified as having the right character for long-term aging and finishing,” Martin said. “After their initial time in new charred oak, these casks were transferred into port wine barrels for up to three years, and for this release we used a higher percentage of 2nd-fill barrels to better accommodate that extended finishing time — rather than relying solely on first-fill barrels as we typically do with Cask Strength.”

The blend ultimately took Martin about five months to finalize. He shared some additional statistics regarding the bourbon’s blend and finishing times:

• 56% of the bourbon was finished in 1st fill port barrels, 44% in 2nd fill
• 67% of the whiskey was distilled in 2014, 33% was distilled in 2015
• 78% of the whiskey was finished in port casks for five months, and 22% for between one and three years

According to brand tasting notes, Angel’s Envy 10 Cask Strength begins with “aromas of sweet cinnamon toast and creamy fruit nougat layered over candied nuts.” The palate unfolds with baklava, ripe apricot, crème brûlée, and Cognac. Port dominates a finish rich in rum raisin cake.

“This whiskey is undeniably a wine-finished bourbon on the sensory profile,” says Martin. “Yet it stands out for its sophistication and roundness, even with the extended finishing time.”

Angel’s Envy 10 Cask Strength is bottled at an uncut 122.6 proof and is limited to 24,480 bottles. It debuts nationwide on October 10, in honor of the brand’s originally intended launch date in October 2010. (That launch was ultimately postponed because the whiskey hadn’t yet met the late Lincoln Henderson’s quality standards.) Bottles will be available at select retailers and in limited quantities at Angel’s Envy Distillery in Louisville. The suggested retail price is $250 for a 750-milliliter bottle.