LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Angel’s Envy is taking its reputation for barrel finishing into decidedly different territory with a new limited-edition bourbon combining Imperial Stout barrels and Brazilian Amburana wood.
Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Stout and Amburana Barrels will be released Sept. 10 exclusively at the Angel’s Envy Distillery in downtown Louisville.
The 2026 Distillery Series release was created by Master Distiller Owen Martin and blends whiskeys aged between 6 and 7 years, followed by two distinctly different finishing approaches.
The majority of the whiskey spent between six and 24 months finishing in Imperial Stout barrels, while a smaller portion received a one-month finish in Brazilian Amburana wood.
The result is bottled at 100 proof, or 50% alcohol by volume.
Approximately 18,000 375-milliliter bottles will be available at a suggested retail price of $54.99.
Angel’s Envy combines bourbon and Louisville beer culture
While Amburana-finished American whiskey has attracted considerable attention in recent years, pairing the intensely aromatic Brazilian wood with barrels previously holding Imperial Stout gives Angel’s Envy a different approach to the category.
The release also serves as a nod to Louisville’s craft brewing culture.
Imperial Stout barrels contribute roasted malt, cocoa and chocolate characteristics, while Amburana is intended to introduce sweetness and pronounced baking spice.
“The Distillery Series gives us the freedom to explore new ideas while staying true to what makes Angel’s Envy special,” Martin said.
Martin said the objective was finding a balance between the two finishing components rather than simply maximizing their intensity.
“For this release, I wanted to see how the roasted richness of Imperial Stout barrels could work alongside the bold spice of Amburana wood,” he said. “The goal wasn’t to make something louder. It was to create a balanced, layered, and unique pour that introduces drinkers to a flavor combination they may not have experienced before.”
That balance could be particularly important with Amburana. The Brazilian hardwood can contribute powerful spice and sweetness relatively quickly, which helps explain why Angel’s Envy limited that portion of the whiskey to a one-month finish.
By contrast, the Imperial Stout component spent as long as two additional years in beer barrels.
Barrel finishing has been fundamental to Angel’s Envy since its beginnings. The Louisville whiskey brand built its reputation around Kentucky straight bourbon finished in port wine barrels, helping introduce a much broader American whiskey audience to finished bourbon.
The Distillery Series allows the whiskey team to push that concept considerably further. Each release is developed specifically for visitors to the Louisville distillery and gives the production team an opportunity to experiment with different barrels, finishing techniques and flavor combinations.
The 2026 edition takes that experimentation in two directions at once: the dark, roasted characteristics associated with Imperial Stout and the unmistakable spice of Amburana.
A Louisville-exclusive bourbon release
Collectors hoping to get a bottle will need to make the trip to Louisville.
Angel’s Envy says the approximately 18,000 bottles will be sold exclusively at its distillery beginning Thursday, Sept. 10. The smaller 375-milliliter format should allow more visitors to get their hands on the limited release while maintaining the experimental nature of the Distillery Series.
Guests attending the Kentucky Bourbon Festival will also have an opportunity to preview the whiskey with Martin.
For bourbon drinkers increasingly accustomed to seeing wine, rum and other spirits barrels used for secondary maturation, the latest Angel’s Envy release illustrates just how far the finishing category has evolved.
Imperial Stout barrels aren’t conventional bourbon finishing vessels. Amburana certainly isn’t conventional Kentucky cooperage. Combining the two is even further removed from tradition.
But experimentation with what happens after primary maturation is precisely the point of the Angel’s Envy Distillery Series.
With just 18,000 bottles, a Louisville-only release and a combination of two assertive finishing styles, Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Stout and Amburana Barrels should be one of the more interesting distillery-exclusive releases arriving in Kentucky this fall.
RELEASE DETAILS
Whiskey: Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Stout and Amburana Barrels
Series: 2026 Angel’s Envy Distillery Series
Age: Blend of whiskeys aged 6 to 7 years total
Finish: Majority finished 6-24 months in Imperial Stout barrels; smaller component finished one month in Brazilian Amburana wood
Proof: 100
ABV: 50%
Bottle size: 375 mL
Suggested retail price: $54.99
Bottle count: Approximately 18,000
Release date: Sept. 10, 2026
Availability: Exclusively at the Angel’s Envy Distillery in Louisville
For more information, please visit www.angelsenvy.com.
