Frey Ranch Launches Harvester Series 10th Anniversary Whiskey

To celebrate ten years of distilling — and five generations of family farming — Nevada’s Frey Ranch Distillery is releasing a highly limited, five-grain whiskey. And they brought in one of America’s most revered spirits pros to nail the final blend.

Frey Ranch is one of America’s few fully grain-to-glass distilleries, meaning all grains are grown, harvested, mashed, distilled, and aged on-site. It’s a truly inclusive operation; the team even harvests its own peat substitute to create smoked grain expressions. (It’s no wonder the founders often refer to themselves as “Whiskey Farmers.”)

Made with the help of renowned blender Nancy Fraley, Harvester Series: 10th Anniversary Edition is one of Frey Ranch’s most limited and complex bottlings to date. To create this release, Fraley joined cofounders Colby and Ashley Frey, along with master distiller Russell Wedlake, tasting through more than 100 barrels and 14 different mashbills. 

“We know our way around grains and have a world-class distilling operation, but the final piece was bringing Nancy in to combine our best liquid into something truly special,” cofounder Colby Frey told Food & Wine.

The final result is a five-grain American whiskey with a distinct breakdown of components, featuring all five grains Frey Ranch grows on their farm. 

• 71.2% of the blend comes from a single-grain rye whiskey
• 9.3% of the blend comes from a single-grain, soft-white, winter wheat whiskey
• 10.5% of the blend comes from a mash bill consisting of 66.6% corn, 10% wheat, 12% malted barley, and 11.4% oat
• 9% of the blend comes from a mash bill consisting of 66.6% corn, 11.4% rye, 12% malted barley, and 10% oat

The result is 121.14 proof, non-chill filtered whiskey that doesn’t qualify as either a bourbon or a rye — hence the “American whiskey” designation. 

“Collaborating with Nancy on our anniversary liquid was honestly a career highlight. She brings so much knowledge and passion — and really pushed us in an interesting direction,” Frey said in a statement.

Fraley’s goal with this 10th Anniversary Edition was to showcase the base ingredients, all of which are grown on a fifth-generation family farm. “What we’ve delivered with the first expression in the Harvester Series is a balanced, high proof whiskey where the grains are truly the star of the show,” she says.

According to the brand, the palate begins softly with a layer of confectioner’s sugar, followed by dessert flavors such as custard and marshmallow. The whiskey has a long finish that is rich in milk chocolate and pine nut. 

Frey says the addition of oats distinguishes this whiskey from many of the distillery’s other expressions. For context, Frey Ranch’s typical bourbon is distilled from a four-grain recipe featuring corn, rye, wheat, and barley.

“That fifth grain, oat, adds a really earthy, distinctive note. It gives the whiskey this graham cracker character and even a touch of anise,” he tells Food & Wine. “It’s subtle, but it shows up on the nose, the mouthfeel, and the finish — and it’s something we’re really proud of.”

Harvester Series: 10th Anniversary Edition is sold in a commemorative anniversary bottle with exterior packaging designed to resemble a grain silo. Only 500 bottles will be available at the distillery’s tasting room, through online pre-sale, and at select retailers in Nevada. It’s non-age stated, although Frey Ranch says the blend includes whiskeys aged up to 7.5 years. The suggested retail price is $250.