Green apple | Pear | Grain-forward | White pepper

Green apple | Pear | Citrus | Earthy undertone | Grain-forward | Full-flavored

Earthy undertone swells | Tapering spice

Frey Ranch Distillery is an estate distillery located in northern Nevada. On this 165-year-old, 1,500-acre family farm, they grow all their grains, malt their barley onsite, and the whiskey is both produced and aged on their grounds. ‍‍Farm Strength Uncut Bourbon was introduced as a permanent line extension in July 2023. Notably, Frey Ranch Farm Strength Uncut Bourbon utilizes the same mashbill as the distillery’s flagship four grain Straight Bourbon. It is released in numbered batches, with proofs ranging from 120 to 132.

I previously reviewed Batch #9 in 2023 and enjoyed the full-flavored, grain-forward nature that Frey Ranch delivered with their Farm Strength Bourbon. Batch #17 offers many of the same flavor notes, but lacks a few of the more grounding flavors I found in Batch #9. Specifically, Batch #17 skews heavily towards the grain notes, highlighting green apple and pear flavors throughout, although it lacks the contrast brought out by raisin, cinnamon, and caramel that Batch #9 delivered. Moreover, Batch #17 has a more robust earthy undertone that takes hold midpalate and amplifies in the finish. While it’s an interesting flavor note, it’s dialed up so high that it dominates at the end, leaving just a bit of room for some spice to poke through.

Estate distillery whiskeys are often fascinating with their unique flavor profiles, and Batch #17 is exactly that. Going all-in, it amplifies what makes the distillery’s flavor profile so unique. However, I would prefer it to be a bit more grounded, setting a more robust foundation for the unique flavors to settle on.