An Intentional Mistake Led To An Unexpected Yet Popular Whiskey

A distiller’s intense dislike of rye and his purposeful mistake and inability to follow directions led to a completely different whiskey.

Wyoming Whiskey co-founder, David DeFazio wanted to expand his brand’s lineup to include a rye so he asked the distillery’s then-distiller Steve Nally to develop one.

Nally, who didn’t like rye at all, expressed reluctance in developing one, telling DeFazio straight up “No, I don’t want to make rye.” But DeFazio kept talking with Nally, encouraging him to reconsider. Finally, after a year of badgering, Nally acquiesed, and in late 2011, 100 barrels of Nally’s “rye” and 200 barrels of bourbon made with rye were laid to rest. “He finally agreed to make it,” DeFazio says.

Nally, who is a Bourbon Hall of Fame inductee and master distiller , later left the distillery to return to his home in Kentucky to spend more time with his family and pursue other projects, including Bardstown Bourbon Company.

In 2016, the barrels Nally laid down were finally read to be bottled, but Wyoming Whiskey’s new distiller Sam Mead checked the composition of the whiskey, and he discovered that something was off. “He called me to explain that the whiskey Nally produced was only 48 percent rye, which legally disqualified it from being called rye,” DeFazio says. “Our team was stunned so I decided to call up Nally and ask him what happened.”

“I said to him ‘I want you to know that the rye you made is spectacular, but why did you only use 48 percent rye in the mashbill?’” DeFazio says.

Nally then told him again “I told you I didn’t want to make a rye.” “I could hear the smirk in his voice,” DeFazio says.

“It wasn’t rye at all, but it was delicious,” DeFazio says.

Since it legally couldn’t be called rye, the distillery had to come up with a different name. “It’s in a complete category of its own,” DeFazio says.

So, the team at Wyoming Whiskey decided to name it Outryder. The “RY” the name is a nod to the 48 percent rye mashbill. “Outryder is a truly singular whiskey, distinct and different,” DeFazio says.

Outryder’s name also references the brand’s rich ranching history, as the brand’s other two co-founders, Brad and Kate Mead, are fourth generation ranchers. In horseman terms, the outrider stands apart, securing the herd’s flank, preventing cattle or pricey thoroughbreds from straying.

“Similarly, Wyoming Whiskey’s Outryder also stands apart, forging its own path and offering a taste profile not seen anywhere else in the American whiskey category,” DeFazio says, adding that the whiskey is great for sipping on its own or mixing in cocktails.

There have been six releases of Outryder, and anticipation is building for the seventh iteration of Outryder, which will be released this June, at a price of $84.99 per bottle.

“It’s not a true bourbon or a true rye; instead, this straight American whiskey is a blend of two distinct mashbills,” he says. “The spirit itself came together unexpectedly, and it hits a sweet spot for a lot of people, offering a palate-pleasing blend of high rye and high corn content that sets it apart.”