Kentucky Castle owner releasing first new bourbon under True Story label

When Wes Henderson left Angel’s Envy in 2022 , after the brand sold to Bacardi, he intended to take it easy, play golf.

“I thought I might be able to retire, be a normal person,” Henderson said. “I realized I can’t do that. I have to keep moving.”

Sign up for our LexGo Eat & Drink newsletters

The latest on food, dining and bourbon delivered right to your inbox for free. See what's happening in the world of bourbon, including buying, tasting tips and more on Tuesday. Stick around for the biggest restaurant news in Central Kentucky on Thursday. Sign up here.

In 2023, Henderson bought the Kentucky Castle that sits between Lexington and Versailles on U.S. 60 and Pisgah Pike for $19 million, as well as a nearby industrial park site where he plans to build a new, $92.5 million distillery that will employ nearly 100 people. The project has been approved for more than $5 million in Kentucky economic incentives .

“It all kind of came together,” he said. “I don’t know that I would be doing this now, if I hadn’t envisioned it as something bourbon-centric. It was sitting up on that hill, speaking to me. I just really thought having a bourbon component would be great.”

At the same time, he was talking with his sons about a legacy project.

So what he’s doing instead of golfing is starting over, from ground zero, with a new whiskey brand called True Story and a new distillery, Saga.

True Story releasing first bottles in October

While the distillery is still a few years away, Saga is releasing its first bottles on Oct. 10, Henderson said in an interview. Volume 1 is a 90-proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in white moscatel casks. Volume 2 is a 100-proof blend of straight rye whiskeys finished in amburana and sherry casks.

True Story will be available in Kentucky and online ordering in some states. The brand will build slowly to a national roll out.

The name True Story “came from my journeys around the world,” Henderson said. “So much story-telling happens when you open that bottle with people. ... We want to build brands that will be around for moments with people, for life’s milestones.”

His six sons either are or plan to be involved, mirroring the way that he and his father, former Brown-Forman master distiller Lincoln Henderson, created Angel’s Envy and the category of “finished whiskeys.”

“We had no idea when we started Angel’s envy how big it would become,” Henderson said of the brand, which was sold to Bacardi in 2015 for a reported $150 million as one of the top premium bourbon and whiskey labels in the world.

“I’m glad we didn’t know what we didn’t know. Enabled us to be fearless,” he said. “It’s the same thing now. Just because we did it before doesn’t mean we can do it again, unless we work really hard. It’s exciting, it’s scary.”

Plans for distillery, tourism center

For now, just as they did with Angel’s Envy, the Hendersons will use spirits from several sources, blended and finished to elevate the flavor, Henderson said

They plan to break ground this fall on distillery at the 150-acre Edgewood Industrial Site is at 328 Crossfield Dr. in Versailles, which will also eventually have warehouses, a visitors center, a tasting room, lodging and a restaurant and retail space. Like the Castle, which is about four miles away, the area is surrounded by horse farms, agriculture fields and scenic byways with historic churches.

Henderson said they will have buffer zones to protect neighbors from potential concerns such as whiskey fungus and the danger of fire.

It is expected to begin operating in 2026, he said.

“We will transition over,” he said. “It will be six years or so before it’s our own liquid in the bottle.” They will continue to release finished whiskeys but also plan to do some unfinished releases as well, he said.

“I didn’t want to limit myself this time. We plan on highlighting blending techniques,” he said.

The Castle will continue to be a boutique hotel and wedding destination, but will become more bourbon-centric, Henderson said. “People who visit Edgewood can stay at the Castle, and we may do single barrel picks at the Castle.

So far, he said, Versailles and Woodford County have been supportive. “We’ve had a great welcome. I see big things there. The Castle is an historic property and it’s a balancing act. We have to be good neighbors. As we plan we’re listening to the neighbors and being very mindful of the history,” he said.

They plan to buy largely grain from the farmers in the area. “We’ll be putting millions of dollars into the hands of farmers, which is great, especially in this day and age,” Henderson said.

Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024 is coming: Where and when to find this special bourbon.

Heaven Hill releasing new Parker’s Heritage whiskey: When will it be available to buy?

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is coming. Details on how you could get a rare bottle.

Like campfire dessert in a bourbon: Michter’s brings back a favorite release