Frey Ranch Distillery Co-Founders Colby & Ashley Frey are pleased to announce the launch of the first two expression from what they have named their “Single Grain Series”, a line of whiskeys created to highlight the individual grains grown on their 1,500 acre Ranch: Frey Ranch Single Grain 100% Oat Whiskey (50% ABV, 375ml, $59 SRP) and Frey Ranch Single Grain 100% Wheat Whiskey (50% ABV, 375ml, $49 SRP), both of which are made entirely from grains grown and malted on-site and aged for six and a half years in barrels. Located just east of the Sierras and boasting lush farming conditions due to its proximity to the Lake Tahoe Watershed, Frey Ranch Distillery is a year-round working farm and one of the rare whiskey producers that grows 100% of its grains on-site since the distillery’s founding in 2006.
The releases come after nearly decade of planning, patience, and creativity that reflect the early pioneering spirit of co-founder and self-proclaimed “Whiskey Farmer” Colby Frey, a fifth-generation Nevada farmer. The grains used in these whiskeys were planted in the spring of 2014; a year later after harvest, Frey and his team began the distillation process with the intention of creating whiskeys that highlight the flavors of each specific grain. Frey Ranch will release more expressions in its limited Single Grain Series in the years to come; 12 unique whiskeys are currently aging in barrel.
“The release of our Oat and Wheat Whiskeys has been a long time coming, and we’re thrilled to see what whiskey enthusiasts think of these new expressions,” says Frey. “Farming these grains ourselves gives us the opportunity to explore the unique flavor profiles of these single-grain variations without influence from any other grains in the mash bill, and discover how they can stand out in the whiskey world.”
TASTING NOTES
Frey Ranch’s Single-Grain Wheat Whiskey
(50% ABV, $49 per 375ml bottle)
Produced with soft white winter wheat grown in 2014 on the Frey Ranch in Fallon, NV. The extended aging regiment in full 53-gallon whiskey barrels impart unique flavors and an aromatic profile of Bananas Foster, butterscotch, and orange peel, backed up by a long finish of Nutella, honey, tea chest, and espresso. Production of the initial wheat whiskey is limited to less than 2,500 bottles.
Frey Ranch Single-Grain Oat Whiskey
(50% ABV, $59 per 375ml bottle)
The oat grain for this expression was grown and harvested from the Ranch’s 14-acre field adjacent to the distillery. Drier on the palate, the Oat Whiskey offers a nose of oatmeal, earth, leather, and peanut brittle to complement a palate of dried apricot, nutmeg, peanut, dried peach, and peat. Production for the initial run is limited to less than 1,000 bottles.
In addition to the Single Grain Series, Frey Ranch Distillery produces its flagship Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon Whiskey (45% ABV, $49.99 SRP), which was awarded 92 points from The Tasting Panel; Frey Ranch Straight Rye Whiskey (50% ABV, $59.99 SRP), which received 93 points from Whisky Advocate, and Frey Ranch Single Barrel Whiskey (60%-66.5% ABV, $84.99 SRP), which received Double Gold at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
