Wyoming Whiskey Releases New State of the Union Bourbon
Wyoming is home to some of America’s most beautiful historic parks, including Yellowstone and Grand Teton. It has also been the source of some really beautiful American whiskey, at least since 2006 when the appropriately named Wyoming Whiskey opened. The distillery just announced the release of a brand-new bourbon that is meant to celebrate America’s 250th birthday this summer, and we have the details to share.
Wyoming Whiskey is located in the small town of Kirby—and this is truly a small town, with only about 60 full-time residents based there. Brad and Kate Mead and their partner David DeFazio founded the distillery in 2006, making it the state’s first legal whiskey-making operation, and were joined by former Maker’s Mark master distiller Steve Nally in 2009 (he left a few years later and is now at Bardstown Bourbon Company as master distiller emeritus). Scottish drinks company Edrington, which owns the Macallan and Highland Park, acquired a minor stake in the distillery in 2018, eventually gaining majority ownership in 2023. But this past June Edrington sold its shares and a Wyoming-based investment group led by cofounder DeFazio called WW Partners, LLC acquired that 80-percent stake. Since then, the distillery announced it will reunite with master blender Nancy Fraley, who has worked with many other distilleries and brands and was instrumental in creating Wyoming Whiskey’s Outryder and 10th Anniversary Edition expressions.
This new whiskey, State of the Union, is a limited release that, as mentioned before, is meant to celebrate America’s 250th birthday this summer. “This anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on what endures—the land, the people, and the spirit of independence that continues to define America,” said DeFazio in a statement. “State of the Union is our way of raising a glass to that shared history and the values that helped shape the West.” The liquid in the bottle is a wheated bourbon, which is mostly what the distillery makes using a mashbill of 68 percent corn, 20 percent wheat, and 12 percent malted barley. It was aged in new charred oak barrels for six years and bottled at 98 proof. We did not get to try the whiskey yet, but the official tasting notes describe aromas of raspberry, lemon, and sweet tea; followed by notes of peaches, raspberries, white chocolate, and brown sugar on the palate; ending with some candied ginger on the finish.
State of the Union is available now (SRP $80), but you might have to do some traveling to snag a bottle because it’s currently only available at the Whiskey Shop in Kirby and select retailers around Wyoming. You can find other Wyoming Whiskey expressions, however, available to purchase at websites like ReserveBar now.
