The Verdict

I like it.  I really do.  There are some things that need to be said though.  I had the chance to try the February release, and it was really green.  It had interesting flavors, but it was very overpowering- and not necessarily in a pleasant way.  It was not awful, but it needed more time in the barrel.  Unfortunately for Steve and the gang, the distillery needs to make money, and to do that they have to ship product.  The first year is always a rough one as the bourbon may not be aged to everyone’s liking.  Happily for the WW crew, they have sold every bottle that they have produced so far.  Positive cash flow is a good thing.

Each bottle has a label that states the date it was bottled on and the batch number.

This bottle is a big step up from what I tried in February.  The extra time and the summer that it sweated through gave it a much smoother feel and mellow flavor.  The nose is initially quite strong with alcohol, but that quickly diminishes.  There is a bite when first tasting, but once it rolls over the tongue I had the distinct impression of fresh baked banana bread.  The finish lingers for a little bit, but is clean.

My preference is to place two medium sized ice cubes in a glass and pour the bourbon over them.  I then wait a few minutes for the cubes to cool and dilute the bourbon.  This releases more flavors and the bourbon becomes quite a bit sweeter (and more palatable).  Once the bourbon hits a certain temp and dilution, then more of the vanilla flavors start to come to the fore and the finish lightens up with a definite sweetness on the tongue.

I happily shared this bottle with friends over the past month.  Poured over two cubes is my favorite way of enjoying Wyoming Whiskey.

I look forward to sampling more bottles once they get to their unlimited release, as well as what they have in store for limited releases in the years to come.  There is a certain excitement for people in Wyoming, and having a local bourbon carries a sense of pride.  This was produced by people in Wyoming, with raw materials from Wyoming, and with water that is as pure as anything out there piped in from the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming (the limestone in the formation filters the water and removes iron).  Each limited release this past year got better and better as time drew on.  People here are very curious what every new batch will be like.  Eventually they will hit a sweet spot in terms of aging and shipping that will allow each batch to be more consistent and more refined.

All of the ingredients are there for a successful brand of bourbon.  The current product is good, but the promise of the product is better.

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