Whiskey Wednesday – Frey Ranch Bottled In Bond Straight Rye Whiskey

Situated about an hour east of Reno, Nevada is Frey Ranch Farmers + Distillers in the agricultural community of Fallon. This family-owned distillery sits in the “oasis” of Nevada on the Colby family farm where they have been working the land for over 165 years.

Enter in Colby Frey, a fifth-generation farmer, or better known as a “Whiskey Farmer”, and his wife Ashley as the couple took a leap to expand its farming operation with a new on-site distillery. After many years of planning and building, the couple opened the doors to their distillery in 2014, right in the heart of the 1,500-acre farm, where they grow 100% of the barley, corn, rye, and wheat that is used in its whiskey.

And it doesn’t stop there, they also malt all of their own grain that is used to brew their whiskey wash on site. Frey Ranch is a true farm to glass distillery with absolute control in what goes into their product.

After creating their own whiskey wash, Colby operates two stills – continuous and pot still – on the farm that were manufactured by Vendome Copper & Brass Works in Louisville, Kentucky. The still can yield as much as 11 barrels per day that equates to about 260 bottles per barrel.

When Colby and his team fills up its barrels, Frey Ranch uses staves that are Char #4 and heads that are Char #3. Having this varied char, Colby feels that it brings out the unique flavors of his whiskey. These barrels then rest in non-temperature controlled warehouses on the farm. They do have to pump in some humidity but the drastic temperature swings throughout the year helps mature the whiskey.

Frey Ranch offers up a few varieties of whiskey, including its Straight Bourbon Whiskey that we took a look at back in June 2021, that makes up 80% of their sales. Their other regular whiskey offering at about 15% of their sales  is Bottled In Bond Straight Rye Whiskey. This one is aged for at least 4 years and sits at 100 proof and features a mash bill of 100% rye, all grown and malted at Frey Ranch.

Bottled In Bond Straight Rye Whiskey pours an amber color with a nose that offers up sarsaparilla, vanilla and strangely, a faint note of Bazooka Bubblegum. The palate is full of honey, spice, caramel and buttered popcorn. For a 100% Rye Whisky, it finishes with a touch of dried mint alongside a pleasant rye spice that’s not overpowering. Well worth a try!

Frey Ranch Bottled In Bond Straight Rye Whiskey is available to ship to residents of many states, including those of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho at $60 per 750mL bottle. Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon Whiskey is available in Oregon at $59.95 per 750mL bottle. To order a bottle of Frey Ranch visit https://shop.freyranch.com.