Frey Ranch Single Grain Series 100% Wheat Whiskey Private Barrel Selection 6 Year Old, 65.56%

This is a sweet-leaning wheat whiskey, with its 65.56% ABV sitting alongside a palate described as rich and full at barrel strength. Toasted wheat on the nose and a bold wheat backbone on the palate give the butterscotch, vanilla frosting and creamy toffee something to work against. I’m drawn to the vanilla and hint of baking spice, though the funfetti cake and dessert-like finish suggest more sweetness than I’d look for in a restrained style. Oak on the finish offers some contrast, even as the butterscotch lingers. It’s a combination I find appealing for its clear wheat character, with the reservation that its dessert notes are hard to overlook.

Reviewed by maple compass

Nose

Butterscotch, Vanilla frosting, Toasted wheat, Warm caramel, Hint of baking spice

Palate

Brown butter, Funfetti cake, Dried stone fruit, Creamy toffee, Bold wheat backbone

Finish

Long and warming, Lingering butterscotch, Oak, Sweet, dessert-like fade