From the high desert farmland of northern Nevada comes a whiskey with roots—literal roots—deeper than most. Frey Ranch Distillery, one of the only true farm-to-glass whiskey operations in the United States, has unveiled its most ambitious experiment to date: Frey Ranch Five Grain Single Barrel Bourbon, a cask-strength marvel that blends all five whiskey grains grown on the family farm, including the elusive oat.
This is no ordinary small-batch release. This is a whiskey born in the dirt, wrangled into barrels by a farmer who also happens to be a distiller—Colby Frey—and released in just two precious barrels, each its own eccentric fingerprint of aroma, proof, and flavor.
“Oats are notoriously difficult to distill,” said Frey. “They clog stills, they’re low in starch, and the yield is terrible. But Russell [Wedlake, Master Distiller] and I love a challenge. We wanted to show what happens when all five grains come together.”
That grain bill is something of a rural symphony: 60% corn, 10% wheat, 10% rye, 10% malted barley, and 10% oat—each grown, harvested, and distilled on the Frey Ranch estate. It’s whiskey with terroir in the deepest sense.
Two barrels will be released. Barrel #3016, bottled at 130.24 proof and aged for just over six years, leads with the unexpected charm of caramel apples and Fun Dip candy on the nose, settling into a silky palate of oats and milk chocolate before finishing like a bite of grandma’s frosted oatmeal cookies. Only 186 bottles will be sold online starting July 18 via Shop.FreyRanch.com.
Barrel #3011, even hotter at 133.22 proof and aged to the day for six years, two months, and two and a half days, is available only at the Frey Ranch Tasting Room starting July 19. That one offers a feast of rose petals, jelly donuts, fruitcake, and dark malted chocolate, proving that high proof and finesse aren’t mutually exclusive. Just 156 bottles will be available.
Priced at $89 per 750ml bottle, the Frey Ranch Five Grain Single Barrel Bourbon is more than just a rare whiskey—it’s a distilled biography of a family’s land, labor, and legacy. As etched into the base of every Frey Ranch bottle: “Be good to the land and the land will be good to you.”
And sometimes, if you’re lucky, the land gives you bourbon.
