New 7 YEAR Frey Ranch Single Barrel Rye & 5 Grain Bourbon

It’s been a year since our last Frey Ranch picks, and these are always a hit with the Seelbach’s crowd. Over time, demand has only continued to grow. We try to keep their Farm Strength Uncut on hand as a bridge, but even that can be difficult to hold in stock throughout the year.

Fret not, we’re back with a new bourbon and rye pick, including our first-ever Five Grain Bourbon single barrel. While Frey Ranch has always held a special place for us, these now 7-year barrels feel especially unique compared to what we’ve offered in the past, and we may argue some of the best Frey Ranch barrels we’ve released to date.

Frey Ranch Distillery was born in 2006 with a passion to showcase the quality of the grains that go into their whiskey. Led by Co-Founder Colby Frey and Master Distiller Russell Wedlake, everything begins with the meticulous farming of grains grown on their 1,500-acre farm just east of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Fallon, Nevada. Every step of the process takes place on site, from growing and malting to distilling, aging, and bottling. With over 165 years of Nevada farming tradition in their family, Frey Ranch is proud to be one of the few distilleries in the world to sustainably grow 100% of their whiskey grains on estate.

They’ve always done things their own way, and this Five Grain Single Barrel is a clear extension of that mindset. Oat steps into the mash bill as the wildcard. It’s not an easy grain to work with, given its low starch and high hull content, but that’s exactly the point. This is a distillery leaning into difficulty to unlock something more interesting in the glass.

Built from 60% corn, 10% winter rye, 10% winter wheat, 10% two-row malted barley, and 10% oat, this 7-year, 1-month, 132 proof bourbon brings a ton of flavor. Many of the Frey Ranch four-grain barrels we’ve selected in the past lean into that familiar dry spice with cherry and apple notes that we love. The first thing you’ll notice here is a more expansive, creamy, and plump profile.

 
The nose is fruity and perfumed, carrying that classic Frey Ranch DNA into honeycomb, custard, caramel apple, and hot chocolate powder, before moving into mixed fruits like cranberry, grape, and raspberry.

The initial sip may make the proof known, but as you continue, it opens into a soft and elegant palate. It’s buttery, caramel-driven, and fruit-forward, with layers of sweet oak, milk chocolate, and gentle spice. With more time, richer waves of creamy caramel and densely packed, slightly tart mixed fruits like raspberry, cherry, and raisin settle in and coat the palate.

The finish brings back the baking spices, now wrapped in those layered fruits from the palate, alongside a healthy dose of sugary oak, a touch of maple, and a light candied raspberry note. It leans closer to a higher-proof Four Roses OESV profile than anything else.

Their 100% estate grown winter rye is always a favorite of ours. While we often wonder how they achieve the flavors they do with only rye in the mash bill, this particular 7-year 3-month, 125 proof makes us scratch our heads even more. 

Damp, buttery, and fruity. This immediately brings to mind some familiar notes from the Sauternes K. Luke Rye and the Allocated Boysenberry Mead Rye from last year. Given that this is an unfinished 100% Nevada rye, I’m intrigued.

Blackberry, blueberry, grape juice, pineapple, and honey. Saturating and inviting.

The palate is juicy and coating, delivering waves of gummy fruit, grape cotton candy, dried pineapple, and slightly smoky grapefruit, with a touch of fresh mint, licorice, and a growing note of butterscotch.

The finish is long and coating, fresh and cooling, bringing more of that smoky pineapple and grapefruit, along with chewy butterscotch and sweet oak, with a lasting note of tangy candied fruit.