When the casual American drinker thinks about whiskey and where it’s produced, no one would fault them for thinking about places like Kentucky (95% of bourbon is made there) and Tennessee. But states like Texas (with Garrison Brothers, Balcones, and more), Oregon (with Westward, Oregon Spirit, and more), Indiana, and Pennsylvania are also producing a ton of award-winning, flavorful, and tasty whiskeys.
However, with more than 2,000 distilleries currently operating in the U.S., there are countless noteworthy whiskeys in states that are not as well known for their whiskey prowess. These include places like Wyoming, New Mexico, Washington state, Nevada, and even Iowa.
5 American whiskeys from states not often known for whiskey
Many whiskeys belong on this list. But we selected not only whiskeys found in states not often known for whiskey but also award-winning, complex whiskeys. These are the types of whiskeys we would seek out regardless of where they were produced. Below, you’ll find five of our favorites. Keep scrolling to see them all.
Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch Bourbon (Wyoming)
If you only try one whiskey on this list, make it Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch Bourbon. The oldest distillery in Wyoming, this award-winning brand is located in the Bighorn Basin in Kirby, Wyoming. Its flagship expression is its Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch Bourbon. Aged for at least five full years, it’s known for its welcoming nose of oak, toffee, and toasted vanilla beans. Sipping it reveals notes of butterscotch, cinnamon, vanilla, charred oak, and gentle spices. It’s a nuanced, complex whiskey that you’ll want to sip slowly on a cool evening.
Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey (New Mexico)
If you didn’t know better, you might assume this single malt whiskey was produced in the Highlands of Scotland or on the sheep-filled island of Islay. It was made in New Mexico of all places. Produced by Santa Fe Spirits, Colkegan Single Malt is made from 100% malted barley before being aged in charred oak barrels. While it’s not a Scotch whisky (as it wasn’t produced in Scotland) it carries a similar flavor profile to some famous peat-smoked whiskies. But instead of peat, this memorable sipping whiskey is made with mesquite smoked barley. The result is a complex sipping whiskey with hints of caramel, candied orange peels, oak, and gentle barbecue smoke.
Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon (Nevada)
While Nevada is most known for being the home of Las Vegas, it’s also becoming well known for Frey Ranch Farmers + Distillers. The brand’s four-grain bourbon is 100% sustainably grown non-GMO corn, rye, winter wheat, and two-row barley. It’s matured for a full five years in charred oak barrels. The result is a 90-proof, complex whiskey known for its notes of toasted vanilla beans, toffee, ripe bananas, charred oak, and gentle spices. It’s the perfect bourbon for slow sipping neat, on the rocks, or mixed into a cocktail on an unseasonably cool evening.
St. Augustine Florida Straight Bourbon (Florida)
Founded in 1565, St. Augustine is the oldest city in America. It’s also home to the award-winning St. Augustine Distillery. Its 88-proof Florida Straight Bourbon begins with a mash bill of 60% Florida-grown corn, 22% barley, and 18% Florida-grown wheat. It’s matured for at least three years in charred oak barrels. It’s non-chill filtered and known for its nose of fresh leather, toasted marshmallow, vanilla, oak, and cinnamon. Sipping it neat or on the rocks and you’ll be treated to flavors like candied pecans, vanilla beans, butterscotch, pipe tobacco, and gentle baking spices.
Cedar Ridge Iowa Straight Bourbon (Iowa)
Honestly, with the fact that Iowa is so well known for its vast, endless cornfields, it should be more surprising that the state isn’t known for its bourbon. That said, it is home to Cedar Ridge Distillery and its award-winning Straight Bourbon. It’s made with a mash bill of 74% corn, 14% malted rye, and 12% malted barley. This highly rated whiskey is 86 proof and known for its complex, nuanced palate featuring notes of sweet corn, caramelized pineapple, toffee, vanilla beans, dried fruits, and light spices. Sip it neat, on the rocks, or mixed into an Old Fashioned.
Bottom line
If you learned anything from this article, it should be that there’s a vast world of American whiskey that goes well beyond the confines of Kentucky, Tennessee, and some of the more well-known whiskey-producing states. And while nobody will tell you not to drink your favorite Kentucky Straight Bourbon, you should at least give one of these whiskeys from lesser-known whiskey-producing states a try as well. All of the above picks deserve a permanent spot in your liquor cabinet or home bar cart.
