VERSAILLES, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — A Louisville public relations firm and a Louisville architecture firm have filed separate lawsuits against TKC Distilling Co. LLC and affiliated companies, alleging the businesses failed to pay more than $1.5 million in combined fees connected to a planned distillery project linked to the Kentucky Castle property in Versailles.
The defendants are owned in whole or in substantial part by Wes Henderson, founder of the company responsible for the Angel's Envy bourbon brand, and his son, Kyle Henderson, according to one of the lawsuits.
Peggy Noe Stevens & Associates lawsuit
Peggy Noe Stevens & Associates, LLC filed a complaint to collect commercial debt against TKC Distilling Co. LLC in Jefferson Circuit Court on May 21.
According to the lawsuit, TKC Distilling and Peggy Noe Stevens & Associates entered into a consulting agreement on or around Jan. 1, 2024, under which the firm agreed to provide specified services to TKC Distilling for compensation.
The lawsuit alleges TKC Distilling defaulted on the consulting agreement by failing to timely make required payments. On or around Nov. 12, 2025, the two parties entered into a payment agreement in which TKC Distilling confirmed balances owed as of Oct. 1, 2025, and agreed to pay those balances by Dec. 31, 2025.
According to the lawsuit, TKC Distilling failed to meet that deadline and, despite additional written notice, has not made any payments toward the balances owed.
As of April 27, 2026, the lawsuit states the amounts due to Peggy Noe Stevens & Associates are $456,425.28 — consisting of $426,795.22 in principal and $29,630.06 in accrued interest — under the consulting agreement, plus a separate loan balance of $54,288.10, consisting of $50,000 in principal and $4,288.10 in interest.
The consulting agreement balance continues to accrue interest at an annual rate of 14% after April 27, the lawsuit states. The loan balance continues to accrue interest at a rate of $13.70 per day after April 27.
The lawsuit also alleges TKC Distilling further defaulted on the consulting agreement by failing to make required payments for services provided after Oct. 1, 2025. The firm is also seeking attorney fees and expenses under the consulting agreement, the payment agreement, and Kentucky law.
The lawsuit brings two counts of breach of contract — one related to the payment agreement and one related to the consulting agreement.
Luckett & Farley lawsuit
Luckett & Farley Architects, Engineers, and Construction Managers, Inc. filed a separate lawsuit in Jefferson Circuit Court on April 2 against Bluegrass Holdings Wyoming, LLC; TKC Distilling Co., LLC; Saga Spirits Group; and TKC Hospitality Group, LLC; Filmland Spirits; and Kentucky Castle.
According to the lawsuit, the defendants are owners of and/or stakeholders in a planned distilled spirits project at the Kentucky Castle. The defendant entities are owned in whole or in substantial part by Wes Henderson and his son, Kyle Henderson.
The lawsuit states that beginning in or around September 2022, Bluegrass Holdings and TKC Distilling engaged Luckett & Farley to provide architectural and related services for the project in and around the Kentucky Castle.
On Sept. 12, 2022, Luckett & Farley and Bluegrass Holdings entered into a masterplan contract for site due diligence and preliminary, conceptual design services for a new bourbon brand and distillery to be located in Woodford County, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit further alleges Luckett & Farley entered into a contract with TKC Distilling on or about Oct. 10, 2023, for architectural and construction administration services for a distillery project in Edgewood, Kentucky, with stipulated compensation of $1,797,500, later amended to $1,143,400 and then increased by $4,000 in a May 2024 amendment. In or around January 2024, Luckett & Farley and TKC Hospitality Group also entered into a contract for due diligence and conceptual design services for the Kentucky Castle Masterplan project.
As of May 9, 2024, Luckett & Farley had invoiced Bluegrass Holdings, TKC Distilling, and TKC Hospitality Group over $980,000 for work performed under the TKC Project contracts. The firm continued to provide services, invoicing an additional approximately $532,000 to the defendants. However, beginning in May 2024, the defendants stopped paying Luckett & Farley, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit states that on April 6, 2025, TKC Distilling and Luckett & Farley entered into a promissory note for the principal sum of $1,010,254.38, with interest at a rate of 1.5% per annum, with a maturity date of Dec. 31, 2025.
TKC Distilling, the lawsuit alleges, made only three payments on the note: $50,000 on May 21, 2025; $9,588.22 on Aug. 1, 2025; and $25,000 on Nov. 21, 2025. As of Jan. 1, 2026, reportedly no other payments had been made on the note or any of the other contracts.
On Dec. 31, 2025, the note matured with a principal balance of $925,654.38, plus interest of approximately $10,682.97 and growing. On Jan. 2, 2026, Luckett & Farley sent TKC Distilling formal written notice of default and a demand for cure. TKC Distilling did not cure its default within 10 days, placing it in breach of the note, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit brings four counts of breach of contract — related to the promissory note, the TKC Project contract, the Edgewood Distillery Project contract, and the Kentucky Castle Masterplan contract.
Luckett & Farley is seeking judgment on all counts, a trial by jury, costs and fees, and contractual interest.
The cases are pending in Jefferson Circuit Court.
