By Kevin Murphy Wilson • Photos by Matt Johnson
In honor of National Bourbon Heritage Month, we recently caught up with local legend Owen Martin, the whiskey wunderkind currently behind the wheel at Angel’s Envy, for a thoughtful look backwards and forwards at this time-honored tradition.
VT: How did your education and experience prepare you for the bourbon business?
OM: “I attended University of Kansas where my focus was mechanical engineering, which gave me a solid technical background. I had also been a homebrewer during the last few years of college and I decided that I would rather try to formalize that practice than take an office job after graduation. Ultimately, I found a master’s degree program in brewing and distilling science at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. After that, I discovered that I was more differentiated as a distiller with a master’s degree than I would ever be as a brewer. So, when my visa ran out I came back to the States and worked in a mom-and-pop distillery in Arkansas, making bourbon for a few years. The next stop was Colorado where I worked at a single malt distillery, making a Scotch-style whisky in the U.S., for about seven years, before I ended up here in Kentucky in my current role.”
VT: What was it about the Angel’s Envy opportunity that appealed to you?
OM: “My wife and I were happy in Denver and I was proud of all that I had accomplished at the largest distillery in Colorado. But I was excited to get to take the next career step from essentially being the distiller in a beer town to being the distiller in a distilling town. It really was like getting called up to the big leagues. Even my first time flying into Louisville and walking through the airport, it was very apparent what was going on here. I also liked the broader idea that there is so much history and that the further back you go that history is interlaced with tall tales and storytelling. That’s really the beauty of it all. There is a very rigorous, scientific basis for how you make whiskey but at a certain point the legendary aspects of the characters and companies intertwine with that to help create the magic, at least for me.”
VT: Was there anyone in particular that you looked up to in the industry or wanted to emulate?
OM: “I have had plenty of mentors along the way. Clearly I come from a Scotch background, and there are definitely some heroes of mine in the Scotch industry. I mean, honestly, the more I immerse myself in the culture of Louisville and of Angel’s Envy, Lincoln Henderson is someone who is on my mind a lot. I often wonder what he would think of the new releases I am making.”
VT: For the uninitiated, what exactly does a master distiller do on a daily basis? And what are some of the popular misconceptions that you have encountered?
OM: “Well, I don’t think there is a consistent day to day schedule to talk about. In some ways it can feel a little bit chaotic but it certainly keeps every week and every month fresh. You know, our warehouses are 45 minutes east of here—in Henry County—and so I try to get out there as much as I can because, again, from a sample-pulling, blending perspective, that’s where you get the important work done. In town I mostly stay busy interfacing with our various departments and planning future projects.”
VT: How do you simultaneously honor the tradition of the craft and still remain innovative?
OM: “If you had to distill, so to speak, my job into one question, that’s it, right? The brand was founded entirely on the notion of finishing bourbon, which is now commonplace, but I think it is worth noting that 14 years ago it was certainly not. In fact, there was a lot of pushback and flack received for it. But there’s a phrase we like to use around here, ‘revere tradition, embrace progress.’”
VT: Do you have anything special planned for National Bourbon Heritage Month?
OM: “Folks should absolutely plan to come visit us this month as there’s always something exciting in the works. For example, we just finished celebrating our distillery-exclusive release, Cask Strength Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon, which has been wildly successful. Plus, we’ve expanded our Private Selection Single Barrel Program to include opportunities for—not only distributors, stores, and bars—but also everyday fans of our products to stop by and pick out something unique. Those who purchase a barrel will experience a behind the scenes distillery tour and guided tasting where they will select their own unique barrel of bourbon. That one of a kind bourbon is then bottled with a personalized label making it a great option for corporate gifting or any bourbon collector. Additionally, we will once again have a large presence at the Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life music festivals in Louisville, and we’ll be holding court and offering extra-special pours at the 2024 Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown.”
For more information, or to schedule your distillery tour, visit angelsenvy.com.