Whiskey is not just whiskey anymore and American whiskey can take many forms; there’s corn whiskey, bourbon whiskey, wheat whiskey, malt whiskey, Tennessee whiskey and of course rye whiskey, just to name a few. And they all come with their very own sets of U.S. codes of federal regulations regarding content, alcohol percentages, finishes, filtering processes and ageing techniques.

Just like the wild, wild, west, Wyoming Whiskey is a straight American whiskey that is neither a true bourbon nor a true rye with higher rye content than Small Batch Bourbon, but short of a true rye whiskey.  It’s crafted from two distinct mash bills distilled in November of 2011.  The first mash bill 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.  In keeping with Wyoming Whiskey’s tradition, these grains are all non-GMO and grown in Byron, Wyoming by Rageth Farms.

Wyoming Whiskey comes in a clear antique finished bottle that looks like it would have been right at home on a back bar in Wyoming in the 1800’s the whiskey is a pale amber in color and since it states right on the bottle that is “bottled in bond” it is at least 4 years old. Well, that all sounds fine and dandy but as you know the proof is in the tasting so let’s get to it. The nose is a delicate blend of buttery cinnamon, a touch of oak and hints of bourbon and rye with all of them complimenting each other nicely. The palate is mildly spicy with touches of oranges and honey, caramel and oak . The finish is long and slightly spicy with bits of toffee and oranges.

This whiskey exists somewhere between a rye a bourbon and a straight whiskey and carves out for itself a rather unique flavor profile that combines the best of all those worlds. Just one ice cube goes a long way in blending all these flavors further.

Wyoming Whiskey is a whopping 100 proof or 50% ABV and can be found for around $54.00 to $56.00 per 750ML bottle.

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By George Brozowski