My journey starts with the love of growing grains in a sustainable way here on the ranch – over 2,000 acres in the Sierra Nevada Watershed. Every time I step onto the land I can feel the generations before me. I’ve tilled the soil, planted the seed, and grown the grains specifically for making a bourbon unlike any other – born from 165 years of our family farming tradition every single aspect of this whiskey was crafted on Frey Ranch.
Frey Ranch Farmers and Distillers
Appearance
Deeper gold in colour, medium thick swirl line with a few thick legs. #TheWhiskeyChaps
Nose
For 45% ABV the nose is punchy, and definitely old style glazing putty. There’s lots of wood here, cough syrup, wood wax, vanilla as expected. Juice from a jar of cocktail cherries, and icing sugar. #TheWhiskeyChaps
And there’s that hot mash potatoes aroma 🥰 #TheWhiskeyChaps
Nose: Polar opposite on the nose to the first 3 grain whiskies. A lovely ABV hum, cherries in syrup, christmas spices, vegetal notes as well as some very earthy notes (almost dry dirt/dust) #thewhiskeychaps
— Whisk(e)y Chap 🏴🥃🇺🇦 (@whiskeychap) April 7, 2022
Palate
Nice mouthfeel here, quite thick, and like the nose that extra bit of ABV is making such a difference. The palate is more conventional bourbon, vanilla, cinnamon, cherry/raspberries, spicy ginger, lovely and warming. #TheWhiskeyChaps
There are some darker fruits hiding in here, figs, cloves, and raisins. #TheWhiskeyChaps
A decent mouthfeel, not luxuriously buttery but quite oily. The palate is not what I expected at all. The normal bourbon-like elements are nowhere to be 'seen'. Very vegetal with milky coffee, bitter chocolate, mint #thewhiskeychaps
— Whisk(e)y Chap 🏴🥃🇺🇦 (@whiskeychap) April 7, 2022
Finish
Medium long, nice and warming still, with some dark chocolate, black pepper, liquorice, black coffee and cigar leaves. #TheWhiskeyChaps
My thoughts
On lifting the glass to my nose i have to say that it’s aromas were different to other Bourbons iv’e tasted. Once tasted it became obvious that the palate was more like most Bourbon’s iv’e tasted previously. Saying this i do like it, it’s punchy for 45% ABV, and it offers plenty of spices and nuances. I would certainly enjoy a bottle, at around £55 i’d say it’s aimed at the more artisan crafted Bourbon drinkers.
The Frey Ranch website can be found here, Bottle Photo courtesy of Cityam.com.
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