By Richard Thomas
Ranking: B+
Nevada’s Frey Ranch checks off various classes one typically finds within the craft sector, however not often all in the identical basket. Their commonplace bourbon is made with a 4 grain mash invoice, whereas their rye whiskey is 100% rye. They’ve bonded and single barrel whiskeys; within the craft sector, the previous is an emblem of correctly matured whiskey, whereas the latter is less complicated to bottle at decrease, craft-level manufacturing volumes. Lastly, Frey Ranch is an property distillery, rising their very own grain.
Now Frey Ranch has launched a 5-grain bourbon, utilizing all 5 of the cereal crops grown on their farm: 60% corn, 10% wheat, 10% rye, 10% malted barley, and 10% oats. The oats are the brand new addition, having by no means been utilized in a Frey Ranch whiskey earlier than. As to why Frey Ranch, who’ve been round for greater than a decade now, had not drawn on their oats prior to now, it’s as a result of oats are a tough grain for a distillery or brewer to work with. In sure functions, oats can yield dividends, however they’ve a excessive hull and low starch content material and are susceptible to gum up the equipment. So, they’re labor intensive and yield much less alcohol by weight in comparison with different grains, even rye.
This unique new make was aged in ASBs with char #3 on the heads and #4 on the barrel for six years, then bottled as a single barrel at a cask energy of 130.24 proof.
The Bourbon
At 130 proof, there was by no means any query in my thoughts about including water. The one query I resolved with an preliminary nosing was how a lot. So, with a tidy splash of water in, the colour turned to dulled bronze.
Nosing my Glencairn gave me a scent of earthy cocoa powder and stick cinnamon, with hints of recent cotton sweet and caramel. The flavour profile develops a fruiter sweetness, so I might liken it to a chocolate and caramel sweet apple… however provided that that apple was flat sufficient to have a non-distinct fruit syrup taste, and if the chocolate in query have been ultra-dark and really earthy. Add to that some cookie spices and also you’ve bought it. The end turns sharply to ginger, pepper and wooden.
The Worth
Anticipate to pay $89 or $90 for this bottle.
