Firstly, this bottle is HEAVY. Real thick glass, with a solid metal topper for the cork. I like the presentation though. Let’s dive in.

Background…

Frey Ranch, based out of Fallon, Nevada, prides itself on being a “Grain to Glass” distiller. This means that they grow all of the grain themselves, harvest it, distill it, then age and bottle it. The brand prides itself for this, as well as the steps they take to try and be as sustainable as possible. Another interesting thing to note, is that they actually malt all of their barley on-site; something that is much more common in Scotland than America. They also believe the unique Nevada climate, with its wild temperature swings, has a positive impact on the barrel aging.

Stats…

Proof: 121.76 Proof

Price: $82.99

Age: Non-age stated, but about 5 years old according to their website

Mash bill: 66.6% Dent Corn, 10% Winter Wheat, 11.4% Winter Rye, and 12% Malted Two-row barley

Batch: Batch #12

The Nose…

Real earthy and rich. I get some black tea and mint, with maybe a subtle, sweet tobacco mixed in. There’s also a super dark cocoa note that I typically associate with malt.

The Palate…

Real nice mouthfeel. Oily and viscous. Tons of butterscotch, vanilla, and caramelized sugar upfront. There is a faint note of that “grainyness” you associate with craft whiskey, but you’ve got to really look for it to pick it out. On the back palate, it transitions from those lighter, sweet notes to more of those darker notes that were present on the nose. There is also some clove and pepper there that add a nice bit of spice.

The Finish…

Medium to Medium-long. It’s interesting, those dark+spicy notes fade and are then replaced by that butterscotch and vanilla coming back in.

Final thoughts…

Overall, I think this is a real nice pour. Good mix of spicy and sweet. I think if this were just a little bit cheaper in the 69.99-74.99 range it would be a buy all day; However, I don’t mind paying a little extra to support a craft distillery that is truly grain to glass, and doesn’t do it as a one-off as an excuse to charge you 100 dollars (cough, Heaven Hill, cough) I think while Frey Ranch’s current lineup is very good, as their products get more and more age they have the chance to become something quite special.

Pros: Great mouthfeel, good mix of spicy and sweet, decent finish

Cons: VERY slight youthful/grainy notes, would likely have trouble contending with other heavy hitters in its price range like certain legacy single barrels and ECBP

Would I buy this bottle again?: I think so. It’s unique enough to scratch a certain “itch,” but I’d be more inclined to wait until their products get some more age on them first.

Score: 7.45/10

(u/WarTill scale is 1 = absolutely undrinkable; 5 = incredibly average, not good nor bad; 10 = Perfection. As of this review, the highest score i’ve ever given was a 9.4/10)