Relocating from Utah, Outlaw Distillery puts some Arizona bees in its bourbon.
The word “journey” died as a useful lifestyle trope the moment going bald became a “hair loss journey,” but one is tempted to revive it for Valley distiller Tyler Halstead. About a decade ago, the California native acquired Utah producer Outlaw Distillery, leaving his job as a marketing executive for a major Hollywood studio. Learning the art of spirit-making on the fly, Halstead expanded Outlaw’s product line, won a slew of awards and ultimately relocated to Arizona, where he added Tempe distiller Adventurous Stills to his portfolio. “Selling alcohol in Utah is hard,” he says, explaining his separation from the famously regulated Utah liquor economy. The latest leg of Halstead’s “spirit journey” involves mingling his whiskey, rum and gin styles with Arizona’s culinary DNA. He poured us a finger of Outlaw Honey Bourbon Whiskey and shared his notes.
The spirit is essentially a honey-enhanced version of Halstead’s flagship bourbon, made with a novel 75-25 corn-to-wheat mash bill. “[The wheat] is where it gets the nice, bread-like flavors.”
Per bourbon mandate, Halstead ages the whiskey for three years in white American oak, adding staves of toasted French oak the final six months for added spice and smokiness.
Finally, the Arizona part: Halstead infuses the finished bourbon with raw honey from Tempe craft producer Rango Honey, imbuing the spirit with notes of mesquite and sage. And sweetness, naturally.
Ideal for hot toddies or no-hassle Old Fashioneds, the honeyed bourbon is one of several AZ-centric distilling projects at Outlaw, including an upcoming series of wine-barrel-finished spirits. “Because Arizona has a ton of wineries,” Halstead explains. “[The state] is going to be my innovation hub.”
$45
Outlaw Distillery Honey Bourbon
Available at the Adventurous Stills tasting room in Tempe.
outlawdistillery.com
Beer of the Month
Dark Sky Brewing Co.
Hefer-Weizer
Wheat Beer/5% ABV/18 IBU
Some enthusiasts pooh-pooh wheat beer. Others – us, for instance – exalt in hefeweizens and similar styles as the perfect antidotes for late-summer Arizona heat misery. Exhibit A: This bewitchingly opaque, lemon-toned hefe from Flagstaff’s Dark Sky. Made with 100-percent Arizona malted wheat, it’s truly local; and fermented with traditional German yeast, it’s truly a hefe, action-packed with clove, coriander and banana esters while delivering a smooth, subtly sweet gulp. And gulp it we will, no matter what the haters think. Available at Total Wine, Sprouts and Whole Foods. darkskybrewing.com
