Frey Ranch Barrel Strength Single Barrel

Cost: $95 for 750mL bottle (I’m reviewing a sample)

Age: NAS

Proof: 128.64

Mash Bill: 66.6% corn, 11.4% winter rye, 10% soft white wheat, 12% malted two-row barley

Frey Ranch has not been available locally for me (though I’ve heard we may be getting it soon in South Carolina, or maybe already have?). I’ve been wanting to try it, but haven’t quite convinced myself to pull the trigger on a bottle+shipping. So, when I recently had a chance to try a sample from u/Bailzay, I figured this would be the perfect way to determine whether it’s worth me spending the money down the road on a bottle for my own bar. Let’s see if I decide it’s worthy or not!

This sample is from Barrel #1266, bottle #142. Reviewed neat in a Glencairn.

Appearance: Rich brown (1.8), appears a little on the thinner side with thin, fast legs.

Nose: Lots of ethanol, very sweet smelling. Lots of sugar and citrus. Honestly, if Limoncello was oak aged, that’s kinda the vibe I’m picking up. There is a faint spice that hides in the background but is ever-present. Overall, it’s pretty bright. There is a little medicinal note that I’m picking up, but I think that’s a byproduct from the high ethanol content. Honestly, the ethanol is a little much. It even burns my eyes a little bit. It took me a solid 10 minutes or so to finally start sniffing past it. A little too much throttle for me. (With a few drops of water: I’m picking up orange, vanilla, brown sugar, oak, and clove.)

Palate: It’s on the thinner side. I’m picking up some definite vanilla and caramelized sugar. There’s a light citrus note that persists. It’s less orange and more lemony to me, which kinda mimics what I was getting on the nose. In the depths of the sip there’s a bit more brown sugar and a decent amount of oak. Cinnamon and peppercorns accompany the entire sip. While the flavors are robust, this does carry the ethanol through from the nose, but it’s less offensive in the sip. (With a few drops of water: …nothing really changes on the palate.)

Finish: It’s medium in length, but this is a pretty powerful finish. It has a big ol’ bear hug. Maybe not quite as big as most of the Booker’s batches out there (at least the handful I’ve tried), but big enough that you’ll find yourself taking a deep breath trying to clear it. At this point, I actually had to add a few drops of water to the pour to get past the ethanol. Caramel and oak fade into the finish with a hint of orange zest. There’s a lite baking spice note as well; particularly cardamom is standing out.

Rating: 5.4/10

Overall: This particular barrel was just way too hot! After a little bit of water was added, man it made a huge difference! To be honest, overall was a 5.4 mostly based on non-diluted review (I did have to add water to pickup anything on the finish because it was so hot though). But with water added, I would have easily given this a 6.5-7.

My take is this: it’s a young single barrel that’s a little too hot. It has a lot going on, but it is best diluted some so that you can actually enjoy it. This pour will NOT discourage me from Frey Ranch in the future. Quite the opposite. I think they just need to add some more age to their products and it will help round them out and knock off the sharp edges.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect