by fishnbowljoe » Mon Dec 09, 2013 11:01 pm
I happen to be a little bit familiar with Wyoming Whiskey, and Kirby Wyoming. I've met and talked with Steve Nally numerous times over the last few years at the KBF in Bardstown. A few of those conversations were about Wyoming Whiskey. FWIW, Steve has to be one of the most easy going, down to earth guys I've ever met. My brother actually used to live in Greybull Wyoming. It's about an hour away from Kirby. I've been out in that part of Wyoming a few times. It just so happens that I was out there last year on vacation, and had the pleasure of visiting the Wyoming Whiskey distillery.
I'm not sure, but I think that Steve and Wyoming Whiskey have bottled 12 or 13 batches now. I only have a little info on the first four batches though. Batch #1 may have been reserved for a few special groups that had specific interests in Wyoming Whiskey right from their startup. I never heard any reviews of batch #1. I had a bottle of Batch #3, and it, along with Batch #2 received decent reviews. I thought Batch #3 was okay. Not great, not bad, just okay. I did hear that of the first four batches, Batch #4 was the worst of the bunch. A few friends of mine had a bottle of Batch #4, and to put it bluntly, they said it was practically undrinkable.
Wyoming Whiskey is not a boutique distillery. It's a bourbon distillery. They make only one thing. Bourbon. They've had to overcome a few obstacles in their endeavor. Weather is one. The weather in Wyoming is very different from the weather in Kentucky to say the least. Long, harsh, cold winters. Temperatures can dip well below zero, and the wind whipping across the Big Horn basin can cut right through a person. In the summer, temperatures can get into the mid to upper 90's during the day, but then can drop into the 50's, and even sometimes the mid-upper 40's at night. Not much humidity there either. It will be interesting to see how the weather affects how their barrels age. Another problem is elevation. Kirby Wyoming is about 8/10's of a mile above sea level. Steve said they had to experiment around a bit to see what effect the altitude had on mashing and fermenting. Water was a bit of a problem also. They had to truck their water in while waiting for a pipeline to be finished. I'm not 100% sure, but I believe the pipeline might be finished now. Don't forget the barrels. Another thing I can't quite remember, is where Steve said they get their barrels from. I want to say ISC, in Lebanon Missouri, but don't quote me on that. I could be wrong. As far as I know, they get all their grains locally, so that's probably the least of their worries. Oh, I almost forgot. Location. Kirby Wyoming is out in the middle of nowhere. Lot's of wide open spaces. Not exactly what most would consider an ideal location, but the Mead family had the land.
Yes, their whiskey tastes young right now, but you have to start somewhere. A totally brand new venture like this takes time, along with some trial and error, and a little patience. Steve and his crew are trying to do things right. They're doing their best to make a quality product. I have faith they will eventually succeed. Their whiskey may be just okay right now, but I believe it will only keep getting better.
Cheers! Joe
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"The only bad bourbon, is the one you didn't have."
Please drink responsibly