We first had Wyoming Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey when a friend brought it back from Wyoming. It was a while ago, and we both kind of remember liking it but are not completely sure. At the time, you could not find it in the Indpls area. But the last couple of years have seen this Wyoming-made Bourbon for sale around here more and more. We had never heard of it until that friend showed up with a bottle. From their website, “Brad and Kate are the founders of Wyoming Whiskey and the keepers of the ranching tradition in the Mead family. They are pretty much like other business executives, but they do most of it on horseback and with a much better office view.” And “We make bourbon in small batches at our distillery in Kirby, Wyoming. From day one, every drop of Wyoming Whiskey was made in Kirby and aged in one of our six rick houses. That’s not true of every whiskey you run into.”
As stated above, Wyoming Bourbon is made by the Wyoming Whiskey Company in Wyoming. It is 88 proof, sells for around $60, is aged for five years, seems to be available, at least around here, and comes in a basic-looking corked bottle. This is considered a wheat whiskey, with a mash bill of 68% corn, 20% wheat 12% malted barley, and no rye.
As a general rule, Talking Bourbon has not been a big fan of Bourbons made outside of Kentucky. There are exceptions, but we have had a Colorado one that was just okay, same with an Iowa Bourbon. We have had just okay stuff from Vermont and even Japan. Even though we have had this juice before, we are not expecting much, hopefully, this will change our minds on non-Kentucky Bourbon.
We have an extra taster today, a friend of ours, lawyer Aaron. Aaron is really into Bourbon and knows even more about it than us. We know, crazy. So, let’s pour and drink.
NOSE
Aaron: Nothing jumps out as a primary scent, but I do get hints of walnuts, leather, tobacco, and a bit of an acrylic aroma. Ice made no difference.
Matt: First impression reminds me of a cleaner, not unpleasant but also unexpected. Getting past that brings scents of corn and a slight floral smell.
Todd: Butterscotch leads the way, so much so that I am surprised no one else picked up on it. Also, get hints of hickory, dates, grain, bananas, and a weird stone-like scent.
TASTE
Aaron: Like the nose, I really do not get a primary taste. A little bit of sweetness, some type of bread, and just a hint of nuttiness. Ice added a little bit of a floral taste.
Matt: Very light mouthfeel with faint flavors of green apple and vanilla. Adding ice brought out some corn and sweetness.
Todd: Strangely hot neat for 88 proof, with some oak, bread, and corn. Ice brings fruit, nuts, and that stone that I got on the nose.
FINISH
Aaron: Medium with a nice burn and some sweetness.
Matt: Short to medium with a slight sweetness.
Todd: Medium with a little heat and not much else.
OVERALL
Aaron: Not really a ton going on, not bad, and the price point is not terrible for a small distillery.
Matt: Not really complex, especially for $60.
Todd: Agree, not too complex. A shame because I really wanted to like this bottle.
Nose 2.75 out of 5
Taste 6.75 out of 10
Finish 2.75 out of 5
Total score 12.25 out of 20 barrels.
Seems we still are having a hard time finding consistent Bourbon from outside Kentucky. To be fair, we have had some non-Kentucky juice that was good, High West and Uncle Nearest come to mind, and we are sure there are others.
Wyoming Bourbon has a cool story behind it, and we love small distillers, and it does have a somewhat unique taste. But when we judge this Bourbon with an open mind, we find it lacking in depth and complexity. While the price is a little high, even though, as Aaron stated, it is not for a small distiller, it is not out of the range if you want to give this Bourbon from Wyoming Whiskey a shot.