Dirt | Barley grain | Fresh oak | Fresh peanut shell | Raw

Raw barley | Demerara sugar | Summer fruits | Fresh oak | Dash of honey

Vanilla | Green peppercorn spice | Oak | Leather | Light grain | Dry chewy spice lingers

Frey Ranch Distillery is an estate distillery located in northern Nevada. On this 165 year old, 1,500-acre family farm, they grow all of their grains, malt their barley, and the whiskey is both produced and aged on their grounds. For the company’s latest Single Grain Series release, they’re focusing on a core staple in most whiskeys: barley. Specifically, for this release, the company used 100% two-row unmalted barley. The company states that “the genesis of the Single Grain Series was to introduce whiskey connoisseurs and the whiskey curious to the unique characteristics of a solitary grain grown with care by Whiskey Farmer Colby Frey.”

The first word that hits you when you nose the whiskey is “raw.” Dirt, barley grain, fresh oak, and peanut shell all waft out of the glass. The midpoint of the sip develops more depth. While barley is noticeable, demerara sugar pulls in along with summer fruits and honey to add a dash of sweetness. The finish, however, transitions back to more of a raw composition, with a focus on vanilla, green peppercorn spice, and grain, resulting in a dry, chewy spice that lunges.

“Raw” can have a varying degree of interpretation, but in this latest Single Grain series, it doesn’t necessarily mean bad. Frey Ranch hits its goal of showing what just a singular grain, in this case, unmalted barley, can produce when it’s turned into a whiskey. This sip will be most appreciated by long-term whiskey drinkers who are looking to hone their senses further and are intrigued by what just an unmalted barley whiskey tastes like.