The troubles that the spirits industry is facing has meant that some American craft distilleries have had to close over the past year, but there are still more than 2,200 in operation as of last August according to a report from the American Craft Spirits Association. One of the best is Nevada’s Frey Ranch, a grain-to-glass operation making bourbon, rye, and some more experimental types of whiskey. The distillery’s excellent 100% Barley Whiskey, part of its Single Grain Series, was released in a limited run earlier this year, and the news just arrived that it’s back for the holiday season in another limited run.
Frey Ranch was founded nearly 20 years ago in 2006 by husband and wife Colby and Ashley Frey on their 2,000-acre farm in Fallon, Nevada at the foot of the Sierra Nevadas. The Freys and their team make whiskey using grain grown on the farm, and mashing, fermenting, distilling, and aging it there as well. Colby Frey recently offered some thoughts on the state of the American whiskey industry in a press release, making some predictions for 2026. He said that he thinks pricing will soften to match the downturn in spirits consumption, distillers will try to find new revenue streams like selling more used barrels or repurposing spent grains, there will be more high age statement releases, and the estate distilling movement will continue to grow (something that we’ve reported on previously). Of course, it remains to be seen how any of this will play out.
Both Frey Ranch‘s bourbon and rye are superb, well-crafted whiskeys that can stand with the best of any of the larger distilleries in Kentucky, Tennessee, or any other state. But the distillery also makes the aforementioned Single Grain Series, consisting of whiskeys made from more unusual mashbills (at least in the world of American whiskey) that consist of just one grain. There is also the Malted Grain Series, which include Quad Malt, a bourbon made from four malted grains, and the 100 Percent Malted Corn Bourbon.
Frey Ranch’s 100% Barley Whiskey is made from a mashbill of two-row unmalted barley, aged for four years and eight months, and bottled at a high 110 proof. What makes this different from an American single malt is that the barley is unmalted, and the effect on flavor is marked here with notes of caramel, butterscotch, maple, and brown sugar on the palate. Veering towards the sweeter end of the spectrum, this is a great whiskey for bourbon lovers (even though it doesn’t taste like bourbon at all). So why the re-release? We reached out to Colby Frey and told Robb Report it was based on the response they got to the launch. “Fans have continued to ask for it,” he said. “We announced via our newsletter, and in line with the reaction to most of our recent releases, it sold out within minutes. We’re seeing strong demand from whiskey lovers for our Single Grain Series, which is really special for us because our goal is always to showcase the grains that we grow on our farm.”
This new release will be part of two whiskey bundles that are available at the distillery’s online shop—one paired with the Malted Four Grain Bourbon (on sale for $99), and one paired with the flagship Four Grain Bourbon (also on sale for $99). Both are currently sold out, but Frey said he anticipates them returning in 2026. You can also find other Frey Ranch whiskeys available at websites like ReserveBar now.
Authors
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Jonah Flicker