The current release of Outryder is available now, and the new iteration will be released in June.

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 the 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, an inductee of the Bourbon Hall of Fame and a master distiller, eventually left the distillery to return to his family in Kentucky and embark on other ventures, such as the Bardstown Bourbon Company.

By 2016, the barrels that Nally had set down were finally prepared to be bottled. However, the new distiller of Wyoming Whiskey, Sam Mead, examined the whiskey’s composition and found a discrepancy. DeFazio recalls, “He alerted me that the rye whiskey produced by Nally was only 48 percent rye, which legally precluded it from being designated as rye. The discovery left our team in shock, so I decided to reach out to Nally for an explanation.”

“I confronted him by saying ‘The rye you’ve created truly stands out, but why did you only use 48 percent rye in the mashbill?’” DeFazio shares.

“In response, Nally reminded me, ‘I told you, I had no intention of making a rye.’ I could detect a sense of smugness in his voice,” says DeFazio.

“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.

“In a similar vein, Outryder by Wyoming Whiskey has carved a unique identity, presenting a flavor profile unparalleled in the American whiskey spectrum,” DeFazio remarks. He further elucidates that this whiskey can be enjoyed both neat or blended in cocktails.

Outryder has previously been released six times, eliciting considerable expectation for its upcoming seventh launch in this June, available at $84.99 per bottle.

“Outryder isn’t exactly a bourbon or a rye. Rather, it’s an intertwined assembly of two divergent mashbills,” he explains. “The spirit was a fortuitous development, offering an engaging high rye and high corn composition that has managed to win many palates.”