I always enjoy sitting down with a whiskey I have never had before and just experiencing it. Especially if it is a whiskey from a state I have limited whiskey experience with. I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with the new Wyoming Whiskey “Outryder”, the brain child of Wyoming Whiskey co-founder David DeFazio and Wyoming Whiskey’s distiller at the time, Bourbon Hall of Famer Steve Nally. I love the story of how this came together because in true Nally fashion he did what he thought was best for the liquid and the result was the deliciousness that became the original “Outryder”. Here is an excerpt from Wyoming Whiskey on the creation of this expression.
“In 2010, co-founder David DeFazio requested Wyoming Whiskey’s distiller at the time, Bourbon Hall of Famer Steve Nally, to develop a rye. Nally expressed reluctance; he didn’t want to make a rye and communicated his distaste for the spirit and its notorious difficulty to work with, as it tends to clog up machinery and complicate the production process. The founders encouraged Nally to reconsider, and he ultimately surrendered to the request. Two different whiskies were laid down in late 2011, nearly 100 barrels of “rye” and 200 barrels of bourbon made with rye. In 2016, after Nally had left Wyoming Whiskey, it was time to bottle. New distiller Sam Mead called DeFazio to explain that the whiskey Nally had produced was only 48% rye, which disqualified it from the rye whiskey category. The team was stunned. DeFazio called Nally and said, “I want you to know that the ‘rye’ you made is spectacular — but why did you use only 48% rye in the mash bill?” Nally responded with an implied smirk, “Because I told you I didn’t want to make a rye.” Thus, Wyoming Whiskey Outryder was born.”
Since its first run in 2016 the Outryder expression has always kept the Nally mash bill of 48% rye - until this year. The 2024 offering is the first time the expression will not use an “almost rye” to blend with their bourbon, opting instead for an official rye whiskey with a mash bill of 51% rye blended with their bourbon.
So there is the history of this years 2024 Outryder offering… now for the taste test. Weighing in at 100 proof and with a golden amber hue, I get notes of apple spice and candied sugars from the nose. You dive in and get an initial blast of oak mid palette followed by sweet notes of molasses and a slight nuttiness combined with spice and a hint of citrus. The citrus hits at the very end, almost as the beginning of the finish. The finish is a little more complex, not an overtly long finish but an enjoyable one where everything you have had so far gets to sit together and create a combination of flavors similar to the sugars you have left on your palate after an apple crisp. Not the apple taste per se, just that delicious collection of sugars and cinnamon notes after an apple crisp. That combined with a hint of earthiness from the oak notes mentioned earlier and the addition of a sweet chocolate after those candied sugar notes return.
Overall, this is a not too heavy pour that you will enjoy in the summer heat. It packs a proper flavor punch well above its 100 proof weight class and gives the high-rye/rye conversation a Wyoming voice. I am most impressed by the drinkability of this pour. There is enough going on in the glass for you to go back for more, but it is still light enough to be a proper summer sipper. I would like to go back for more but it looks like my glass is empty! This is currently a Wyoming exclusive expression so if you are in the state pick up a bottle, you will definitely enjoy the pour!
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