What we’re drinking: Lazy K Bar Whiskey
Where it’s from: Named after the Lazy K Bar Ranch in Big Timber, MT, the brand is a partnership between David Leuschen (owner of Lazy K Bar Ranch and third-generation Montanan); Cole Hauser, the Yellowstone actor with Montana family history dating back to 1862; and Britt West, a 25-year beverage alcohol industry veteran and resident of Livingston, MT.
Why we’re drinking this: Montana whiskey from the star of one of the most popular shows on TV? At the very least, I was curious.
“When we started, we thought it would be great to do a Montana bourbon that has a rich history, not only with David being a multi-generational Montanan but my family being there since the beginning of time,” Hauser tells me during a slightly raucous Zoom call/tasting in April. “And we all love bourbon.”
Tell Me Where: A Locals’ Guide to Bozeman, Montana
I asked Uber drivers, bartenders and nature guides: What are the essential stops? Then I visited them myself.Hauser has deep Montana family roots. His great-great-grandfather was Samuel T. Hauser, who was also the seventh governor of the Montana territory. And the Lazy K Bar Ranch dates back to 1887 — it’s the oldest operating dude ranch in the state.
The trio came up with a pretty balanced bourbon. “I’ve been drinking bourbon since I was, for the sake of this interview, 21,” Hauser says. “I didn’t want it to be an eyelash-turner. So how do we get it down to a proof that isn’t going to punch you in the nose? A lot of whiskey people want is 115, 120 proof. That’s just not my style. I want to be able to drink half a bottle and not fall down on my face. I guess that’s me kind of going against the grain in the bourbon space.”
What Lazy K ended up with was a blend of eight-, nine- and 10-year-old straight bourbons aged in Kentucky and bottled in Bozeman, MT (it’s also proofed down in Montana). Distilled from a mash bill of 74% corn, 18% rye and 8% malted barley, the expression is aged in #4 “alligator char” barrels and comes in at a high but modest 92 proof.
How it tastes: There’s brown sugar, baking spice and oak spice on the nose. It’s punchy, but the palate is balanced, offering notes of caramel, citrus/lemon, vanilla and cloves. The barrel notes are pretty strong, but it adds a nice little kick to an otherwise easy-going sipper.
Fun fact: I found the rugged bottle — which has a large strip of branded, aged leather on top and is sealed by a seemingly weapon-grade brass cork — difficult to work with. I spilled every time I poured from it (this is before I started drinking, thank you very much). “That’s intentional!” Hauser says. “When you spill the bourbon onto the leather, it smells like heaven to me.”
Where to buy: Lazy K Bar is available in stores and bars throughout Montana, Texas, Colorado, Idaho and Utah, an intentional rollout that mimics the routes of old cattle trails. It’s also available nationwide online for $100-$109.
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