BOTTLE DETAILS

• DISTILLER: Frey Ranch Distillery
• MASH BILL:  66.6% Corn | 10% Winter Wheat | 11.4% Winter Rye | 12% Two-Row Malted Barley
• AGE: 5 years
• YEAR: 2023
• PROOF: 122.28 (61.14% ABV)
• MSRP: $79
• BUY ONLINE: Shop Frey Ranch

STEVE’S NOTES

SHARE WITH: Any whiskey fan, especially fans of higher proofs.

WORTH THE PRICE: Indeed it is.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bottle. But since it’s not available everywhere, bar if you can find it.

OVERALL: The nose on this is akin to opening every baking spice jar in your kitchen drawer: nutmeg, clove, cinnamon–lots of cinnamon–whole allspice … you name it. Wait a bit and star anise and, strangely enough, limoncello join in. Its aromas beg for tasting this with an oatmeal, ginger or molasses cookie.

And speaking of molasses and ginger, both race out of the gate on the first sip followed by a hum of unsweetened cocoa, oak and stewed stone fruits. If you let it linger in your mouth—no mean feat given the proof—you’ll be rewarded with even darker dried fruits like fig and raisin.

This is an entertaining pour that punches, ducks and dodges around the mouth, delivering sharp blows of spice to keep you on your toes. I haven’t made a cocktail with this yet, but it’ll be fun to let it wrestle some rich demerara into submission. This a bourbon with a bellicose character; an MMA fighter in a glass. I like it a lot!

BRAND NOTES

Every time we blend a small batch of our flagship four-grain bourbon, we taste it at cask strength before we “proof it down” to our signature 90 proof. We always fall in love with the uncut flavor, now you can too with the addition of this “Farm Strength” version of our flagship bourbon. Each batch will now feature both our signature 90 proof and this “uncut” expression. We named it “Farm Strength”, inspired by how we like to enjoy our whiskey on the ranch. As with all our whiskeys, this one is made from 100% grains grown on the Frey Ranch. Try them side-by-side for the best tasting experience!

Tasting Notes: Robust notes of caramelized bruleé, with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. On the palate, the whiskey opens with birthday cake frosting, glazed butter cake, cloves, orange creamsicle, and dried stone fruit. The finish delivers a sublime yet subtle hint of smoke and black cherry.

Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter received a sample of this product from the brand for review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.