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Send us a textOpened in 2006Brad and Kate Mead ranch in the area and their family has since 1890Son Sam is the one in charge nowDavid DeFazioWhen Brad and Kate decided to make bourbon, they turned to “Faz” to figure out how to get it done and he's been getting it done for Wyoming Whiskey ever since. To keep David's bio from being too long, we'll just make a list: lawyer, river guide, late night philosopher, angler, skier, wingman, Yankees fan, and whiskey man.Mashbill68% corn, 20% wheat, 12% malted barley2024 BOTTLING OF OUTRYDER STRAIGHT AMERICAN WHISKEY This year's release marks the seventh Outryder iteration for Wyoming Whiskey KIRBY, Wyo. (June 3, 2024) ––Outryder was first released in 2016, marking Wyoming Whiskey's first use of rye along with corn and malted barley. 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 this first bottling in 2016, the spirit has always contained the original 48% “almost rye” — until this year. The 2024 Outryder Straight American Whiskey features a 51% rye recipe combined with the standard rye bourbon. According to David DeFazio, “Our 2024 edition of Outryder is the first of its kind. It blends a traditional high-rye bourbon with a true rye whiskey. All of the barrels selected for this release were filled in early 2017 and have matured through the heat of seven summer seasons in our warehouses.” He continues, “As is true for all of our batched products, we selected barrels for their excellence and their ‘Outryder' flavor profile; they were not selected according to a set metric. This batch has a 2.5 ratio of bourbon to rye barrels and offers notes of cinnamon, chocolate hazelnut and candied walnuts, among other rich flavors. We can't wait for people to taste the 2024 batch.” At the time of launch, the 2024 Outryder will be available exclusively in Wyoming. It has an ABV of 50% and is 100 proof. SRP US$84.99. wyomingwhiskey.comSupport the showWebsite:www.whiskeychaserspod.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/whiskeychaserspodcastInsta:https://www.instagram.com/whiskeychaserspodcast/TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@whiskeychaserspodcastThanks For Listening! Tell a Friend!
If you're looking for a bourbon that has been crafted by arguably the best distiller of wheated bourbon and blended by the most respected nose in the industry, then you're looking for Wyoming Whiskey. The story of how Wyoming Whiskey got started is fascinating and that's why I invited David DeFazio, one of the original Co-Founders, to come on the show and share how an idea of starting a winery turned into a distillery that failed on their first release, crawled its way back to greatness. David shares the story of buying a Vendome still but not having a distiller and took Steve Nally, the man responsible for decades of wheated bourbon production at Maker's Mark and now serving as the Master Distiller at Bardstown bourbon Company, out of retirement to be the person who would set them up for amazing whiskey for years to come. But, that's not all, David and his team also got Nancy Fraley to come in and be the person who would take their releases to the next level. Plus, stick around to the end to hear about some rye distillation fun. Show Notes: Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about stonefruit What got you into whiskey and how did you carve your path in this industry? What did you want to come away with when you visited the Kentucky Bourbon Festival trying to start this business? What did you think Wyoming could offer to the whiskey landscape? How did you get connected to Steve Nally? When you started did you feel there was going to be a demand for bourbon? Did you tell Steve Nally what kind of bourbon to create? What's the climate like for aging? Where did the relationship with Nancy Fraley start? What was your sales plan? How did you win people back when you failed in your first release? Did Edrington try to make things super luxury after the acquisition? Was there a reason that the backstory and founders haven't been on the forefront of the brand story? @wyomingwhiskey Support this podcast on Patreon
Wyoming Whiskey marked its 10th anniversary last December, and this April, Edrington took majority ownership of the Cowboy State's first distillery. That ended the run of David DeFazio as Wyoming Whiskey's president, but he remains the brand's global ambassador and a part-owner of the distillery. We'll talk with him about the changes since then, along with what the future holds, both for him and the brand. We'll also catch up with Wyoming Whiskey's first master distiller, Bourbon Hall of Famer Steve Nally and master blender Nancy Fraley on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth, too. In the news, the drinks industry is mourning the death of Diageo CEO Sir Ivan Menezes this week, while Brown-Forman has won a trademark lawsuit challenge at the U.S. Supreme Court.
Oh give us a home, where the buffalo roam, and the bourbon is flowing all daaaaay…. That's right folks, Pops and Steve Coomes were heard singing that very tune as they walked the grounds at Wyoming Whiskey. A long-time desire for Bourbon & Banter, we finally had the opportunity to secure a single barrel of Wyoming Whiskey, and after that selection, Pops and Steve sat down with co-founder David DeFazio. Have comments or questions? Drops us a line at podcast@bourbonbanter.com. Make sure to follow us on social! Instagram: @bourbonbanter Twitter: @bourbonbanter Website: podcast.bourbonbanter.com Cheers!
We're back for Episode 6 of “Off Hours with Bourbon Lens” featuring David DeFazio, Co-Founder of Wyoming Whiskey and avid outdoorsman. This episode is brought to you by Off Hours Bourbon. Off Hours Bourbon is made for the moments in between. After a long week or just because. Find the time and the moments in between. Find them with us in the Off Hours. Find out more about Off Hours Bourbon on their website. This has been another production of Bourbon Lens LLC. Thank you for your continued support. Scott & JakeBourbon Lens
Wyoming Whiskey w/ David DeFazio, Whisk(e)y Wednesday Tasting May 4th 2022
In this episode, we sit down with Wyoming Whiskey co-founder, David DeFazio. This lawyer turned Whiskey brand owner spins a tale of what it takes to distill delicious Whiskey in the state of Wyoming. As DeFazio explains in the show, they wanted to make something the state can be proud of so they knew they had to do it, "right." From the brand starting over a punch in the face, to their bourbon hall of fame distiller defiantly creating their famous Outryder, to him skiing The Grand Teton, this episode is full of amazingly entertaining stories. They will both inspire you and make you laugh, all the while showing what it means to be a traditional spirit in a non-traditional place. This episode is sponsored by FlyLow https://flylowgear.com/ and Visit Park City, https://www.visitparkcity.com. If you are looking for awesome gear or thinking of booking a trip to "Winter's Favorite Town" please be sure to pay them a visit. Don't forget to leave us a review wherever you listen to your podcasts and for episode clips and exclusive content, be sure to follow us on Instagram @beyondtheapres --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/beyondtheapres/message
Our guest this week is David DeFazio, co-founder of Wyoming Whiskey. We discuss building a distillery on a ranch and making whiskey in Wyoming. David is a former lawyer turned whiskey maker and has a wealth of experience in working hard, solving problems, and crafting whiskey. We also want to give a huge shoutout to Bob Cutler of Novio's Bistro in Bangor Maine for connecting us with Wyoming Whiskey. He's a long-time supporter of the show and of Wyoming Whiskey and we are so excited that we were able to collaborate for an episode. We hope you enjoy this week's episode and if you have a chance to try Wyoming Whiskey, let us know what you think! We are thankful for everyone who has supported us. A huge shoutout to our growing Patreon Community as well! We'd appreciate it if you can take the time to give us feedback on our podcast. If you enjoy our content, consider giving us a 5 star rating on your favorite podcast app, leave us a review, and tell a fellow bourbon lover about our show. Follow us @BourbonLens on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter. And please check out our Patreon to learn how you can support our endeavors, earn Bourbon Lens swag, be part of future barrel picks, and more. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please email us at TheBourbonLens@Gmail.com. Visit our website BourbonLens.com to check out our blog posts, or even purchase your own Bourbon Lens tasting glass or t-shirt. Cheers,Scott, Jake, & MichaelBourbon Lens About Wyoming Whiskey Based in Kirby, Wyoming, Wyoming Whiskey has a simple goal: to create America's next great bourbon. The company and product is a collaboration between its partners and 97,818 square miles of Wyoming. The Mead family first came to Wyoming as ranchers in 1890 and the state defines them, and their whiskey. They use the finest corn, wheat, barley, and water from the Big Horn Basin and promote Wyoming's natural and human resources. Every drop of this bourbon is 100% Wyoming. When was WW founded? 2006 Who are it's founders? Brad & Kate Mead, 4th generation Wyoming cattle ranchers, and David DeFazio. All of the founders currently reside in Jackson, but the distillery is at the Mead Ranch in Kirby, WY. How many styles does Wyoming have? 6 in the main lineup Small Batch (flagship, highest quantity produced and sold) Outryder (Straight American Whiskey - WW's take on a rye) Single Barrel (top 1% of their liquid) Double Cask Barrel Strength National Parks Limited Edition Other limited release offerings they've done: Wide Open Spaces collection and some Wyoming-only releases in limited batches such as Stargazer, Thunder Basin and Wilderness. What are some unique factors that set Wyoming Whiskey apart in the industry? #1: WW uses non-GMO grains, including corn, wheat, barley, and rye, all sourced from a local WY farmer named Brent Rageth. Part of WW's culture is to draw upon the natural environment in making their product. Genetically modified grains are, to an extent, unnatural. And for that reason, they will only use natural seed when raising their crops in Byron, Wyoming. An experienced farmer easily works around the challenges presented by non-genetically modified crops. #2: Wyoming Whiskey does not source any alcohol. Every drop in our bottle comes from grains grown in Wyoming, which are cooked, fermented, distilled, barreled and bottled in Kirby, Wyoming. All of our grains come from Rageth Farms in Byron, Wyoming. WW's water comes from a mile-deep limestone aquifer 40 miles to the north of our distillery. This makes their product 100% Wyoming. In an age where a vast number of brands are taking the easier, cheaper and faster route of sourcing bulk whiskey, WW prefers to put in the extra time and effort to do things the right way. #3: Our environment: Wyoming is a special place. And as mentioned previously, our maturation environment is the most unique in the industry. On the hottest of days in the summer, the top of our warehouse can reach 132 degrees and in the depth of winter it will hit 0 degrees. Where else is a whiskey exposed to such extreme temperatures without moving an inch? WW Barrels experience the extreme temperature variations of the high basin between the Absaroka and Bighorn Mountains. Temperatures reach 135° at the height of the warehouse during the summer and fall precipitously to 5° degrees in the depths of Winter. In the summertime, warehouse temperatures can swing 20 – 30 degrees and facilitate greater whiskey and wood interaction. How does the unique terroir of Kirby, WY and its temperature fluctuations impact the development of WW? WW does not use temperature controlled warehouses. As a result, they are at the mercy of the environment. Their maturation environment is arguably the most unique in the whiskey industry because of it's violent temperature swings. Diurnal temperature swings can be over 50 degrees in a day, which results in a more dynamic maturation environment in every barrel. Given the thermal mass in each warehouse, barrel temperatures will not change to this profound of a degree, however, even a 1 degree change in a barrel will cause the alcohol to push into the oak and later withdraw to a greater extent than maturation environments that do not share this cycle. The result is a more meaningful and effective maturation period during the summer months. To the contrary, our barrels go into hibernation during Wyoming's harsh winters. At about 40 degrees, alcohol activity in the barrel ceases and maturation stops. Whatever magic happens in the winter months is a mystery to us, but what we do know is that our maturation process produces an outstanding line of whiskies. Years ago, we used to rotate barrels in an attempt to balance the warehouses' effect on each barrel, however Nancy taught us that it was unnecessary given the complexity of her batching protocol and the precision with which each barrel is selected. In short, we batch around this issue. To learn more, visit http://www.wyomingwhiskey.com and sign up to become a Whiskey Baron to receive the latest news and special offers from Wyoming Whiskey. For daily updates, follow Wyoming Whiskey on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Show Links: Wyoming Whiskey: The Best American Made Whiskey & Bourbon The Legacy of Wyoming Whiskey's Outryder Lives On — Verde Brand Communications Lawyer becomes whiskey connoisseur | Biz Quiz | jhnewsandguide.com Wyoming Whiskey Releases Fifth Outryder Expression
When you think of Wyoming, you probably think of towering mountain peaks, wild rivers, and wide-open plains. It is a land of National Parks, of prairies and of cowboys. It is big sky country.But near the centre of the state, near a little town called Kirby, this land is also gaining a reputation for bourbon. And while this liquid will seem familiar, it is not your typical Kentucky bourbon, but instead of liquid that reflects its environment. It is a whiskey that's true to the land from which it comes forged from the dry summer heat and sub-zero winters. It is a whiskey that reflects the plains, the skies, and a pioneering spirit.To understand more about the barrels and the liquid they create. We talked to David DeFazio from Wyoming Whiskey.
This week we head to Jackson Wyoming to talk all things fly fishing and whiskey with David Defazio. Co Founder of Wyoming Whiskey, lawyer, river quide, angler, skier, wingman, Yankees fan and whiskey man. David tells us about his fly fishing journey and his business story behind Wyoming Whiskey. David thanks for sharing your fly fishing story with us!
This week's guest on Spirits of Whisk(e)y is David DeFazio, Founder of Wyoming Whiskey. Located in Kirby, a four-hour drive east of Jackson Hole, Wyoming Whiskey produces a range of outstanding whiskeys, including Double Cask—a straight bourbon finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks—and Outryder, a rye-forward, bottled-in-bond, straight American whiskey that's neither rye nor bourbon. Listen and learn how David, an attorney and native of upstate New York, turned a passion for whiskey into a life in whiskey. Then hear how Wyoming Whiskey's Private Stock Straight Bourbon left Chef Louise "Weezy" Leonard craving a bison burger smothered in a mild, gooey cheese, something like a Havarti, with caramelized onions to bring out the sweetness of the spirit, drunken sautéed mushrooms, a few sprigs of arugula for a peppery bite, and a nice grainy mustard. Please visit spiritsofwhiskey.com for show notes, past episodes, and coming attractions. Ad Music for Whiskey: A Chef's Journey - HillbillyBed Creative Commons Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/spirits-of-whiskey/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/spirits-of-whiskey/support
Message from David DeFazio on December 8, 2019
Message from David DeFazio on December 1, 2019
Message from David DeFazio on November 16, 2019
Message from David DeFazio on October 6, 2019
Wyoming Whiskey is celebrating an anniversary this week. Ten years ago on July 4, 2009, they ran the still for the first time at the Mead family's ranch in Kirby, Wyoming, and Wyoming Whiskey is one of many craft distillers marking their 10th anniversaries this year. We'll talk with co-founder David DeFazio about the lessons of the past and how they're shaping the distillery's future, along with what happens when a Hall of Fame distiller leaves behind a surprise for you to deal with years later. In the news, the U.S. Supreme Court has given retailers who want to sell across state lines a lifeline after decades of states largely banning interstate shipments. We also have plenty of new Bourbons hitting the market just in time for Independence Day, while Chivas Brothers is digging into its warehouses for whiskies from some often-overlooked Scottish distilleries.
When Wyoming Whiskey was founded, its only goal was to be the most Wyoming that a whiskey could be. Co-founder David DeFazio teamed up with Brad and Kate Mead, two cattle ranchers who spent their entire lives in the state, to create this fantastic bourbon that serves its namesake well. Mr. DeFazio joins us on this podcast to chat about their history and why they don't have a rye whiskey (yet!)--What we drank:Wyoming SteamboatWyoming Small BatchWyoming Seven Grand Single BarrelWyoming OutryderWyoming Double Cask--Follow us:spiritguidesocietypodcast.comfacebook.com/spiritguidesoctwitter.com/spiritguidesocinstagram.com/spiritguidesochttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoO-l4Ny3QJn2Mc7445qMrg--Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Message from David DeFazio on May 5, 2019
Like most romances, Wyoming Whiskey and Edrington had plenty of potential partners trolling around. Neither one needed a partner, until they found each other and formed what Edrington Americas CEO Chris Spalding calls "a match made in Heaven." The strategic partnership announced this week will see Edrington take on sales, distribution, and marketing for Wyoming Whiskey. The distillery's founders will continue to make the whiskey, and the deal gives them expanded distribution while giving Edrington a foothold in the Bourbon business. We'll break down the deal with Chris Spalding and Wyoming Whiskey co-founder David DeFazio on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, workers at Kentucky's Four Roses Distillery have gone on strike just days before the start of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, which draws thousands of whiskey lovers to the state's distilleries. Union leaders are pledging to protest the lack of a new contract at the festival if no agreement is reached this week. We'll have an update on Dave Pickerell's new whiskey project with Metallica, along with details on this year's Diageo Special Releases and much more.
With all of the issues being raised over whisky labeling in the US and a new lawsuit challenging claims on Templeton Rye's labels, we'll hear this week from an attorney who's become an expert in the US regulatory process as both a lawyer and distillery owner. David DeFazio is one of the co-founders of Wyoming Whiskey, and has been through the TTB's maze of red tape on several occasions. He'll explain the process and the potential pitfalls on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, we'll have more on the class-action lawsuit targeting Templeton Rye, Brown-Forman will invest $30 million in a new downtown Louisville distillery for Old Forester, and Scotch whisky exports fell during the first half of 2014. We'll also have the latest on new whiskies from around the world, and here's a riddle to this week's tasting notes: think of a deer lost in space.
Last December, Wyoming Whiskey made its debut with thousands of whiskey lovers descending on the tiny town of Kirby, Wyoming. Kirby's quiet again, but the state's namesake Bourbon is still selling as fast as the distillery can produce it. This week, we'll catch up with Wyoming Whiskey co-founder David DeFazio and talk with the guys from Bin 21 in Jackson Hole about the demand for this unique whiskey. In the news, plenty of new Bourbons are coming from Elijah Craig, Four Roses, Buffalo Trace, and Old Forester. We'll also visit with Bob and Barbara Townsend of the Miner's Delight Inn in Atlantic City, Wyoming. Would you believe some people think they're on the Jersey Shore instead of high in the Rockies?