A
while back, around last Christmas, I received a bottle
of Wyoming Whiskey's Outryder (article here) and found it
to be a delightful cross between rye and bourbon and straight
whiskey. Well, it just so happens that those spirited cowboys
from Wyoming actually bottle a number of different whiskies
and they have sent me two more to taste; small batch and single
barrel.
Wyoming
Whiskey is an independent, family owned distillery in the
Big Horn Basin of Wyoming. The Mead family, Wyoming ranchers
since 1890, founded Wyoming Whiskey in 2009 in Kirby, Wyoming.
And so, you might rightly ask, just exactly what do Wyoming
ranchers know about making whiskey? Well, they know enough
to use locally grown corn, wheat, barley and rye with no GMOS
as well as water from the Madison Formation, a limestone aquifer
that is millions of years old and gives the whiskey a unique
texture and minerality. They also know how to select their
hired hands. Among a host of qualified folks is Steve Nally
who spent 33 years distilling for Maker's Mark and was inducted
into the Bourbon Hall of Fame in 2007.
Well,
they have the ingredients, know how and help to produce some
interesting spirits so let's see how these two taste. We'll
start with the small batch bourbon whiskey. This whiskey is
aged in new charred white oak barrels for a rumored 5 years
(there's no age statement on the bottle) and is the resultant
mixture of around 40 barrels. The whiskey itself is a pale
amber. The nose, immediately upon opening the bottle, is a
bit astringent but that dissipates very quickly leaving behind
a beautiful butterscotch aroma mixed in with a creamy caramel.
On
the palate I immediately get a taste of oak followed by apricots,
caramel and cinnamon. The finish is sweet and a bit spicy
leaving a taste of dark toffee and butterscotch and lasts
a medium amount of time. All of these flavors work very well
with each other with none of them getting in the way of one
another. Another sweet thing about this whiskey is the price
point of just around $40.00. At that price you have yourself
one helluva deal.
Next
up is the Single Barrel Whiskey. Each barrel
is selected for its singular character and taste and yields
about 220 bottles per barrel. It is the exact same color as
the small batch; a pale amber. Even though both are 88 proof
this single barrel features the aroma of alcohol upfront far
more pronounced than the small batch. This quickly fades away
leaving the smell of dark cherries, cola, caramel, vanilla
and butterscotch. The palate is slightly spicy and features
oak, cherries, citrus and a noticeable hint of minerality.
The finish is long, moderately spicy with traces of sweetened
citrus and oak. This single barrel is more intensely flavorful
than the small batch with the flavors more pronounced and
distinct. For the few dollars more you get a whole lot more
flavor.
The
Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey can be found
for around $42.99 to $50.00 per 750ML bottle and is 88 proof
while the Single Barrel Whiskey is $55.00
to $69.99 per 750ML bottle and it is also 88 proof.
Other
Related Links:
Wyoming
Whiskey (Outryder)
By George Brozowski
For
more Rants & Raves click
here.
http://www.wyomingwhiskey.com/