A GROUND TO GLASS WHISKEY FARM

A tradition for five generations, Frey Ranch Distillery produces great spirits as a destination.

by Debbie Hall

Frey Ranch, surrounded by the stunning Sierra Nevada mountain range in Northern Nevada, continues the history of farming that dates back to 1854. Frey Ranch Distillery was founded by CEO and cofounder “Whiskey Farmer” Colby Frey, who started the distillery in 2006 with his cofounder and wife Ashley on the Frey family’s 1,500-acre farm in Fallon, Nevada. Colby is a fifth-generation farmer who grew up working on his family’s 1,500-acre ranch in Nevada’s high desert. He was involved in planting, growing, and harvesting crops like alfalfa, wheat, and barley alongside his father, from whom Colby inherited his passion for agriculture.

Frey Ranch Distillery is one of only a few whiskey producers in the world to grow 100 percent of its grains onsite, malt, distill and bottle the spirits on the ranch.

The property is stunning, with an impressive home for the family with a luxurious guest house. Of course, the distillery and other buildings are part of the ranch with extensive lawn, gazebo, and acres of crops, including corn, alfalfa, wheat, rye, and barley.

VP of Operations, Master Distiller, Certified Crop Advisor, and Maltster Russell Wedlake expresses his passion as he oversees each stage of the production process. The professionalism and love is seen with the farming and harvesting of the grains, distillation, maturation, and bottling of the whiskeys and ryes.

Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon Whiskey is 100 percent sustainably grown, malted, distilled, matured, and bottled on the Frey Ranch, creating a distinctive, long-lasting product from the quality grains grown and perfected for generations. Its flagship four-grain Straight Bourbon Whiskey, bottled-in-bond Straight Rye Whiskey, and Single Barrel Bourbon are part of its line of whiskeys.

The family’s motto, “Be good to the land, and the land will be good to you,” is engraved on the bottom of each bottle of Frey Ranch whiskey.

Frey Ranch Distillery is about an hour’s drive from Reno as a year-round working farm that hosts tours and tastings. Tours include a look at various stages of production including a view of the fields where grains are grown and harvested to the distillery and barrelhouse, complete with a tasting of Frey Ranch whiskeys in the onsite tasting room.

Frey Ranch Distillery is open to the public and offers complimentary tours and tastings every Saturday from 12 to 4 p.m.

For more information, call 775.423.4000, visit freyranch.com and follow Frey Ranch Distillery on:

• Instagram @freyranchdistillery • Facebook @freyranchdistillery • Twitter @freyranch

FREY RANCHSTRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY

(45% ABV, 750 ml, $49.99 SRP) Frey Ranch’s four-grain Straight Bourbon Whiskey is aged for an average of five years, and this 90-proof bourbon is smooth yet complex with oak and citrus aromas followed by vanilla, caramel, banana chips, and dried hay on the palate. With a mash bill of non-GMO corn, winter cereal rye, winter wheat, and two-row barley malted onsite, this is a flavorful bourbon that can easily be enjoyed on its own or in any whiskey-based cocktail. Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon Whiskey is available in California and Nevada and can be purchased online for nationwide shipping.

FREY RANCH STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY

(50% ABV, 750 ml, $59.99 SRP)

Frey Ranch Straight Rye Whiskey holds the coveted “bottled-in-bond” designation, which requires that a spirit is produced by a single distiller within one season, aged for a minimum of four years in a bonded warehouse, and bottled at precisely 100-proof. With a mash bill of 100 percent Winter Cereal Rye, this whiskey maintains a smooth, complex flavor that sets it apart from the pepper-forward flavor profile found in many ryes. Aromas of wood and rye spice, vanilla, and caramel lead into a perfume of grapefruit zest, almond, and honey. The palate is full-bodied and buttery with plenty of black pepper spice and ginger upfront, followed by a long, lingering finish bringing forth velvety honey, raisin, and cacao nibs. Frey Ranch Rye is currently available in Nevada and at select retailers in Northern California.

FREY RANCH SINGLE BARREL STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY

(60-66.5% ABV, 750 ml, $84.99 SRP)

Frey Ranch introduced its inaugural single barrel program in November of 2020. This single barrel bourbon is offered at barrel strength, typically ranging from 120-132 proof. Made entirely from grains grown and malted onsite at Frey Ranch and aged for over five years, the bourbon has a unique four-grain mash bill of non-GMO corn, winter cereal rye, winter wheat, and 2-row barley. Frey Ranch single barrel offerings consist of a small selection of Colby and Ashley Frey’s favorite barrels, each of which is unique in its own way. These select barrels are offered to retailers as “store picks,” available exclusively at these partner retailers’ locations.

Frey Ranch Distillery has also launched the first two expressions from the Single Grain Series, a line of whiskeys created to highlight the individual grains. 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 onsite and aged for six and a half years in barrels.