For my 101st whiskey tasting, I chose Frey Ranch, a Nevada distiller that grows 100% of the grains they use in their whiskey on their own property. They grow it, harvest it, malting, and distill everything right at home. I can’t personally think of a more perfect way to create a small batch whiskey. No sourcing, just complete transparency and honesty in their products.
The bourbon is a 90 proof 4-grain whiskey, with 66% corn, 11% winter cereal rye, 10% winter wheat and 12% two-row barley and it’s aged somewhere between four and five years in (of course) newly charred virgin white oak barrels. It’s non-chill filtered, which is something I always like when I can find it.
My notes are based on a first time, fresh crack. I opened them the first time for this review.
Nose notes: Mint, young tobacco, cinnamon, caramel … 2nd Nose: Add honey to notes, and rye grains
Tasting Notes: Mouthfeel was silky smooth, the “bloom” on the tongue was slow and deliberate. The rye grains were foremost on the taste with honeycomb, a nice note of oak, caramel and cinnamon and other “earthy” notes that are reminiscent to Canadian ryes. Not particularly complex, despite the four-grain mash bill, yet at the same time the drinker can sense the three disparate influences coming together between bourbon, rye and single malt elements. With about 1ml of water in the glass I lost the ethanol bloom completely, but it did open up with all the same flavors amplified.
The rye is a little different, 100 proof, bottled in bond, non-chill filtered, aged 5 years and contains 100% slow glowing winter cereal rye whiskey. No corn, no wheat, no barley.
Nose notes: rye spice, clove, cinnamon, red hots cinnamon candy, a floral note, and perhaps plum for the fruit aspect
Tasting Notes: fantastic rye, buttery mouthfeel, drinks below its proof, butter, chocolate, hazelnut, walnut, long finish and simply mouth-watering. On a little water, the rye opens up and turns those flavors up without adding anything new. When I poured it over a clear ice sphere (something I didn’t do with the bourbon) the flavors held up nicely. Good stuff. It would probably work well in a cocktail, but I think there are lesser pours that a better for cocktails. This one is unique enough that I shudder to think of killing the flavors with other cocktail ingredients.
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Cheers!