Sips & Sites & Bites

There’s something about the Tetons that stops you in your tracks. Maybe it’s the way the peaks seem to cut straight into the sky, or how the light changes by the minute, painting the whole range in shades of bronze, blue, and silver. Whatever it is, the mountains have a way of making everything feel a little more grounded … and apparently, they inspire some pretty thoughtful whiskey, too.

Wyoming Whiskey has released the fifth installment in its National Parks Series, and this one is a full-on love letter to Grand Teton National Park. National Parks No. 5 Straight Bourbon Whiskey: A Tribute to the Tetons isn’t just another limited-edition bottle; it’s a reflection of place, history, and good old Wyoming grit.

A Whiskey Made in the Mountains’ Shadow

If you know Wyoming Whiskey, you know they like to keep things close to home. They’re proud of being the state’s first legal distillery, and even prouder of the landscapes that surround them. So it’s fitting that this release shines a spotlight on the very mountains they’ve lived and worked beneath.

Co-founder David DeFazio puts it simply: the parks have shaped the company from the beginning. “Our company was born in the shadow of these mountains. Literally,” he says. Because of that, this particular tribute is personal … both for the distillery and the Mead family behind it.

And in true Wyoming Whiskey fashion, honoring the park isn’t just about inspiration. For every bottle of National Parks No. 5, they’ve donated $5 to the Grand Teton National Park Foundation, $50,000 in total, to support everything from trail restoration to Indigenous youth programs to wildlife research. Add that to years of contributions to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Acadia, and you start to see a pattern: they’re serious about protecting the places that make their whiskey possible.

A Bottle That Looks Like the West Feels

Before you even open it, the bottle sets a tone. It features The Three Tetons, an 1895 oil painting by Thomas Moran … an artist who probably deserves partial credit for America’s romantic obsession with the West. The original hangs in the White House, but here it brings a little presidential art history to your home bar.

Snowy peaks, soft clouds, a shimmering ribbon of water, tall pines … it all feels like stepping into the park on a quiet morning. And really, that’s the point.

So… How Does It Taste?

This is a five-year-old, 96-proof straight bourbon built from locally sourced ingredients. The extreme Wyoming weather does its magic on the barrels … scorching summers, icy winters, wild temperature swings … which translates to layers of character that aren’t shy about showing up.

Here’s what to expect:

Nose:
Think baked honey pastries, the kind you can smell from across a bakery, dusted with cinnamon sugar. There are hints of orange zest and almond, too, giving the aroma a bit of brightness.

Palate:
The almond note comes back, this time alongside cherry liqueur and a honeyed sweetness that rounds everything out. A little vanilla whip sneaks in, softening the edges.

Finish:
Warm cinnamon spice settles in first, followed by espresso, creamy milk chocolate, and that subtle touch of leather. It’s the kind of finish that lingers just long enough to make you want to go back for another sip.

It’s a bourbon with both warmth and depth … sweet, spicy, and just rugged enough to fit its namesake mountains.

A Toast to the Tetons

What makes this release compelling isn’t just the tasting notes or the gorgeous label … it’s the sense of place baked into every step of the process. From the local grains to the weather-beaten barrels to the partnership with the Grand Teton National Park Foundation, National Parks No. 5 feels like something rooted in Wyoming soil.

Whether you’ve stood beneath the Tetons or only admired them from afar, this bottle brings a bit of that landscape to your glass. And if it helps protect those mountains for the next generation of hikers, photographers, and whiskey drinkers? Even better.

National Parks No. 5 is available at Wyoming retailers and online starting in December. But more than a release date, it’s an invitation … a chance to sip something shaped by the land it honors.

And honestly? That feels like the right way to raise a glass to the Tetons.