As the American Single Malt category heats up, award-winning Frey Ranch® Distillery enters the market with the limited release of Frey Ranch American Single Malt Smoked Whiskey. At 110 proof and aged for six years and seven months, Frey Ranch American Single Malt Smoked was produced using 100 percent of the slow-grown barley that is grown, harvested – and now smoked – and then milled and distilled –– on the Frey Ranch farm.
As with all Frey Ranch Whiskeys, Frey Ranch American Single Malt Smoked Whiskey is a testament to Frey Ranch Co-Founder and Whiskey Farmer Colby Frey’s ingenuity and ability to employ his farming and mechanical acumen when creating new whiskeys. Not only did he grow 100 percent of the barley used to create the mashbill, but he fashioned the smoker himself. Instead of purchasing an industrial smoker, Colby – and Frey Ranch Master Distiller Russell Wedlake – reconstituted a smoker from an old grain silo and a fireplace – allowing the whiskey to be smoked versus roasted.
Additionally, Colby made his own peat from decomposed plant matter from the farm – pressing it into bread pans and dehydrating it to properly smoke the whiskey for the desired taste profile. Designed as a sipping whiskey, the result is a rich, robust American Single Malt that pairs beautifully with smoked gouda, blue cheese, or chocolate. On the nose, the whiskey emits aromas of campfire, huckleberry, and sweet pipe tobacco, on the palate, hints of leather with a thick yet soft mouth feel. The finish dazzles with a lingering yet exquisite taste of sweet cigarillo.
“American Single Malts are having a moment, so we figured this was an opportune time to showcase our Nevada grown and harvested barley – putting our personal stamp on it by smoking it,” said Colby Frey. “Like everything we do at the Ranch, the team and I had some fun putting together our custom smoker – taking a few days to weld, cut and wire it to our precise specifications.”
As one of the only true estate distilleries in the world, Frey Ranch Distillery’s distinctive approach to whiskey production has paid off in spades. Today, Frey Ranch is one of the top-selling ultra-premium bourbons in the U.S., and one of the largest whiskey producers on the West Coast. Having recently expanded its on-premise and retail presence in Arizona, Georgia, Ohio and Texas earlier this year, in October 2023, Frey Ranch Distillery was awarded “Spirits Brand of the Year” by the illustrious industry drinks publication VinePair.
Available online at www.freyranch.com at $59.00 for a 375ml bottle, Frey Ranch American Single Malt Smoked is the first expression in the company’s Smoked Series, which will be followed in short order by Frey Ranch Rye & Smoked Oat Whiskey.
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ABOUT FREY RANCH DISTILLERY:
Frey Ranch Distillery was founded in 2006 by Colby and Ashley Frey on the Frey family’s 1,500-acre farm in Fallon, Nevada. The family has a deep history of farming in Northern Nevada that dates back over 150 years and continues today with Frey Ranch Distillery, the state’s only distillery to grow 100% of its whiskey grains on-site. Frey Ranch is a year-round working farm that also offers tours and tastings to the public every Saturday from 12-4 p.m. To learn more, visit freyranch.com.
