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Wyoming Whiskey names new master blender
Brendan Cook has taken over as master blender at Wyoming Whiskey after succeeding Nancy Fraley.
Cook joined the Edrington-owned craft distillery at the end of 2023, with a background in Scotch and Canadian whisky. He previously worked at Brown-Forman as an assistant blender for Benriach, Glandronach, and Glenglassaugh.
Upon joining the team, Cook moved to Kirby, Wyoming, and has implemented a year-round sampling procedure and daily cask monitoring. A hands-on approach has provided Cook with a deep understanding of how the spirit is evolving and how Wyoming’s temperature fluctuations and maturation environment impact flavour.
“Being based in Kirby allows me to closely monitor the maturation of our casks week by week, month by month,” Cook said. “This proximity allows me to personally evaluate their progress and sample the spirit, which enables us to strategically move casks at just the right time and fine-tune our new blends.”
Cook’s first expression as master blender was Independence Rock, a Wyoming-exclusive Bourbon released in July. He takes over from Nancy Fraley, an independent master blender who works with Still Austin and other distillers and was awarded the 2024 Women of Whiskey Master Blender of the Year.
Earlier this month, Wyoming released a pair of whiskies including its National Parks No. 4 straight Bourbon.
In September 2018, Edrington purchased a 35% stake in Wyoming Whiskey, and in April 2023, the company increased its holdings to 80%.
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