Wyoming Whiskey is celebrating the life of Clifford P. Hansen with the release of a new limited edition bourbon, The Statesman.
Hansen, who passed at the age of 97 in 2008, was once Governor of Wyoming and then a U.S. Senator representing the state. He is also the grandfather of Wyoming Whiskey Co-Founder and CEO Brad Mead, as well as great-grandfather of Wyoming Whiskey Distiller Sam Mead. His family first settled in the Jackson Hole area in 1890, and his descendants have been distilling in Kirby since the founding of Wyoming Whiskey in 2011.
The family was inspired to create this bottling from Hansens’ famous quote – “I don’t like bourbon, but my system requires it.”
We think he would have liked this bourbon – just ten barrels were blended to create The Statesman Bourbon bottled in his honor. All were crafted with a wheated mashbill of 68 percent corn, 20 percent winter wheat, and 12 percent malted barley, and aged for a minimum of five years before being bottled at 97 proof.
“The barrels selected for Statesman reflect the impact and influence Wyoming’s environment can have on you,” said Sam Mead in a press release. He added, “In honoring my great grandfather, I chose barrels that were unique because of their depth and complexity, much like my great grandfather himself.”
The distillery offers tasting notes of “cinnamon toast smothered with maple syrup, burnt candied orange peel, rum raisin, ripe dates, treacle, and browned butter.”
Less than 2,000 bottles of The Statesman are hitting shelves today in Wyoming for a suggested retail price of around $50.
