American craft distilleries are facing some tough times, with the looming threat of , in sales, and established operations having to declare . Still, one of the best in the country continues to persevere: Nevada’s , a grain-to-glass distillery that is marking its 10th anniversary with the release of one of its oldest and most experimental whiskeys to date.
The new release is called Harvester Series: 10th Anniversary Edition. husband and wife founders Colby and Ashley Frey worked with renowned American master blender Nancy Fraley to select barrels that, in their opinion, were the best examples of the grain-to-glass mentality and process that defines the distillery. “As farmers first and foremost, the Harvester Series is a culmination of more than 170 years of growing the highest quality grains on our family farms in Northern Nevada,” said Colby in a statement. “Collaborating with Nancy Fraley on our anniversary liquid was honestly a career highlight. She brings so much knowledge and passion, and really pushed us in an interesting direction.”
The whiskey includes some of the oldest liquid to date from this decade-old distillery, ranging in age from 5.5 to 7.5 years old. A selection of 100 single barrels were considered by the Colbys, Fraley, and master distiller Russell Wedlake, all containing whiskey made from five grains grown onsite—non-GMO dent corn, winter wheat, winter rye, barley, and oat. Ultimately, 14 different mashbills were in the running and the final components, according to the distillery, are as follows: 71.2 percent winter rye; 9.3 percent soft white winter wheat; a 10.5 percent blend representing 66.6 percent corn, 10 percent wheat, 12 percent malted barley and 11.4 percent oat; and a 9 percent blend representing 66.6 percent corn, 11.4 percent rye, 12 percent malted barley, and 10 percent oat.
Harvester Series was bottled at 121.14 proof and, according to the official tasting notes, it drinks like a deconstructed s’more. That’s a bit of a nostalgic and whimsical reference, but indeed there are some elements that ring true. The nose is sweet and slightly grainy without much burn, which is surprising considering the high proof. The mouthfeel is viscous and creamy, and the palate is rich and deep with notes of milk chocolate, toasted nuts, ripe plum, caramel, and some golden toasted marshmallow (okay, that s’mores note rings true).
Each of the 500 bottles comes with a tractor stopper made from recycled metal and is housed inside packaging that’s meant to look like a grain silo. The whiskey is available to preorder directly from the Frey Ranch (SRP $250), but it appears to be sold out at the moment. Still, Harvester Series: 10 Year Anniversary Edition will be available at the Frey Ranch tasting room and at select retailers throughout Nevada this month, and you can find other bottles in the lineup available to purchase from now.
Authors
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Jonah Flicker
Credit: robbreport.com
