Nestled in the heart of the Lake Tahoe Watershed just outside of Fallon, Nevada since 1854 is Frey Ranch. There are less than 3,000 farms in the Silver State as water rights make agriculture a less lucrative business. Farming coincides with whiskey, and just as there is an art to distilling there is an art to farming. Fifth-generation farmer and CEO Colby Frey saw an opportunity to expand his farming expertise into distillation and considers himself a “whiskey farmer.”
While wine production began in 2001, distilling hard spirits began in 2006. Up until 2010 Nevada hadn’t fully enacted laws regulating small distilleries, so that gave Frey plenty of time to master his whiskey recipe. Every part of the whiskey making process is done on the 2500 acre ranch; the crops are sustainably grown, malted, distilled, aged, and bottled. Frey Ranch Estate Distillery officially opened in 2014.
Tasting Notes: Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Appearance: Rich chestnut/mahogany.
Nose: Ripe with a mixture of summer black and Rainier cherries. It comes off a bit like nail polish, but not overwhelmingly so. There is a sour tang to it reminiscent of sourdough bread rather than citrus. If I were to nose this blind with Tennessee whiskey, I don’t think I’d be able to tell the difference until I sipped it. In the background is the sweet scent of sugar cane.
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Palate: The first thing you notice about the whiskey is the velvety and soft mouthfeel. It has a quick astringent nature, but otherwise it does not drink like a 90 proof whiskey. It’s interesting, but in a good way. It takes quite a while to decipher this bourbon.
The spice of the rye packs a greater punch than typical rye, but that is because of the way Frey Ranch grows their grain. Banana chips and dried cranberry mingle with grain like gorp. Opened up with water you get a acetone quality, but you can pick up on more fruit.
