Wyoming Whiskey is releasing a 7-year-old expression of its signature Outryder Straight American Whiskey January 2020.
Outryder, the only Bottled in Bond whiskey from Wyoming, was first released in October 2016, representing Wyoming Whiskey’s first use of rye, along with corn and malted barley. It quickly became a favorite amongst whiskey connoisseurs across the country and has a history unlike any other product in the Wyoming Whiskey portfolio. The story of how the product first came to be gives it notoriety that can’t be created in a marketing meeting.
Those who have been following the brand for the past decade may recall that Bourbon Hall of Famer and former Maker’s Mark Master Distiller Steve Nally was hired to run all production in Kirby when the company was created. He was instrumental in developing the Small Batch mash bill and selected yeasts that yielded specific taste profiles. It was Steve’s expertise in wheated bourbon making that caused the brand’s production to commence on July 4, 2009.
Following the early trend in rye whiskeys circa 2010, Co-Founder David DeFazio put a pointed request in with Nally that he develop a rye. Nally expressed reluctance to follow orders, telling DeFazio that “No, I don’t want to make rye” and clearly communicated his distaste for the spirit. Over a few months, the founders strongly encouraged the Bourbon Hall of Famer to reconsider his position and Nally ultimately surrendered to the request —albeit defiantly. Two different whiskies were laid down in November and December of 2011 at the behest of DeFazio and his partner Brad Mead. Nally made nearly 100 barrels of “rye” and 200 barrels of bourbon made with rye.
A couple of years after these whiskies were made, Nally left Wyoming Whiskey to return home to spend more time with his family and pursue other projects. Fast forward to 2016 when it was time to bottle the nearly 5 year-old-barrels of bourbon and “rye”. Wyoming Whiskey’s Distiller, Sam Mead, called DeFazio to explain that the whiskey Nally produced was only 48% rye, which disqualified it from the rye whiskey category. The team was stunned and dumbfounded. How could it be?
DeFazio paid a phone call to Nally and said “I want you to know that the “rye” you made is spectacular … but why did you only use 48% rye in the mash bill?” Nally responded with an implied smirk, “Because I told you I didn’t want to make rye.” To hear a snippet of the story from David DeFazio himself, check out this video on The Spirit Guide Society’s recent Instagram post.
With a phenomenal high-rye whiskey that did not meet the legal 51% requirement to be called a rye, Wyoming Whiskey was left with no choice but to develop a straight, and distinct, American whiskey from Nally’s two whiskies. The first whiskey contains 48% winter rye, 40% corn, and 12% malted barley and the second reflects a traditional bourbon mash bill of 68% corn, 20% winter rye, and 12% malted barley.
Wyoming Whiskey master blender, Nancy Fraley, fine-tuned the Outryder expression through barrel selection and its specific blending process. Fraley gave Outryder excellent marks, going so far as to say that it is her favorite Wyoming Whiskey product. Fraley’s tasting notes for the 2020 release of Outryder is as follows:
COLOR: bronze to copper
NOSE: The 2020 release of Outryder is now 7 years, 10 months of age and has gained more matured, complex aromas in the arid climate of Kirby, WY. This season’s Outryder features savory, sweet, and spicy notes of dried tobacco leaves, Jamaican allspice cake batter with golden raisins, almond butter, old cedar chest, and walnut baklava drizzled with dark honey and orange blossom water.
PALATE: The initial entry is of candied ginger, followed by mid-palate waves of sweet black tea with bruised mint leaves, grilled hazelnuts, Mexican dark hot chocolate, and cream cheese on a toasted cinnamon bagel.
MOUTHFEEL: Light to medium viscosity, with peppery mint and roundness on the palate.
FINISH: Long and luscious, with winter peppermint fading to brown butter and orange marmalade.
Consistent with Bottled in Bond requirements Outryder is bottled at 100 proof.
A total of 577 4.5L cases of Outryder will be available for purchase throughout the U.S. at the suggested price of $75.00 beginning in January.
“Steve Nally remains a great friend of the brand and we couldn’t be happier with the outcome of his defiance,” said DeFazio. “The result is an exceptional Straight American Whiskey that we couldn’t have mastered better if we had planned it. At nearly eight years of age, its character is remarkable.”
The remaining stock of Outryder—available in limited annual supply— will be released in 8, 9 and 10-year-old expressions over the next three years until the last batch of barrels are harvested in 2022.
Wyoming Whiskey is holding fast to its western heritage, producing whiskey the right way, not the easy way: from the ground up. Using water sourced from a mile-deep limestone aquifer and all Wyoming-sourced, non-GMO ingredients, Wyoming Whiskey respects the maxims of great bourbon, yet also reflects the feel and taste of the place it was made. Since day one, every drop of Wyoming Whiskey has been made in Kirby.
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About Wyoming Whiskey—The Whiskey of the West
Based in Kirby, Wyoming, Wyoming Whiskey has had a simple goal: to create America’s next great bourbon. That goal has evolved to include all whiskies. The company and their products are a collaboration between its partners and 97,818 square miles of Wyoming. The Mead family first came to Wyoming as ranchers in 1890 and the state defines them, and their whiskey. They use the finest corn, winter wheat, winter rye, barley, and water from the Big Horn Basin and promote Wyoming’s natural and human resources. Every drop of this bourbon is 100% Wyoming. To learn more, visit http://www.wyomingwhiskey.com.
Press releases are generated outside of Spirited magazine and the information contained does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Spirited or its parent company, Sonoma Media Investments.
