12 November 2026
Inside Frey Ranch Distillery Part 1: From Grain to Barrel with Master Distiller Russell Wedlake
Bourbon Obsessed Bourbon Podcast
About
We’re visiting Frey Ranch Distillery in Fallon, Nevada! In Part 1, Ed and Karen join Master Distiller Russell Wedlake for a tour of the production side of this Nevada farm distillery.
Russell walks us through the stripping stills and pot distillation, mashing, fermentation, barrel aging, and malting grain on site. He explains the choices behind Frey Ranch’s grain-forward flavors, why he prefers cooler fermentation, and how the team selects bottling proof based on taste. We also explore Nevada’s dry aging conditions and follow the stillage process to see how spent grain and liquid byproducts are put to use.
There are plenty of stories along the way, including Russell’s path from crop adviser to master distiller and some of the flavor experiments taking place at the ranch.
Then, join us for Part 2, when Colby Frey takes us through the bottling facility and out onto the farm!
CONTENTS
00:00:00 Introduction: Visiting Frey Ranch
00:00:36 Inside the Distillery: Stills and Production
00:05:29 Rye Whiskey, Proof, and Flavor
00:08:16 Early Days: Brandy, Vodka, and Gin
00:10:01 Grain Flavor, Filtration, and Barrel Aging
00:13:55 Russell’s Background, Crop Planning, and Grain Storage
00:17:32 Column Stills, Steam, and Distillation Cuts
00:20:53 Mash Cookers and Cool Fermentation
00:26:38 Farm Water, Spent Grain, and Sour Mash
00:33:04 Bottling Demand and Whiskey Distribution
00:34:52 The Rickhouse: Humidity, Oak, and Barrel Char
00:38:01 Barrel Selection and Cooperage Stories
00:41:53 Grain Silos, Smoking, and Milling
00:44:09 Nevada Aging, the Angel’s Share, and Single Barrels
00:49:02 Tasting Notes and Small Batch Blends
00:50:36 Specialty Bourbons and Malted Corn
00:52:39 Fermentation Experiments and Grain Varieties
00:55:43 Malting: Steeping, Germination, and Kilning
01:00:45 Closing and Preview of Part Two
Visit BourbonObsessed.com for more distillery visits, whiskey reviews, news, and podcast episodes. You can also watch this episode on YouTube.
If you enjoyed the episode, please follow the show, share it with a whiskey-loving friend, and leave us a five-star rating and a review.
Cheers!
Russell walks us through the stripping stills and pot distillation, mashing, fermentation, barrel aging, and malting grain on site. He explains the choices behind Frey Ranch’s grain-forward flavors, why he prefers cooler fermentation, and how the team selects bottling proof based on taste. We also explore Nevada’s dry aging conditions and follow the stillage process to see how spent grain and liquid byproducts are put to use.
There are plenty of stories along the way, including Russell’s path from crop adviser to master distiller and some of the flavor experiments taking place at the ranch.
Then, join us for Part 2, when Colby Frey takes us through the bottling facility and out onto the farm!
CONTENTS
00:00:00 Introduction: Visiting Frey Ranch
00:00:36 Inside the Distillery: Stills and Production
00:05:29 Rye Whiskey, Proof, and Flavor
00:08:16 Early Days: Brandy, Vodka, and Gin
00:10:01 Grain Flavor, Filtration, and Barrel Aging
00:13:55 Russell’s Background, Crop Planning, and Grain Storage
00:17:32 Column Stills, Steam, and Distillation Cuts
00:20:53 Mash Cookers and Cool Fermentation
00:26:38 Farm Water, Spent Grain, and Sour Mash
00:33:04 Bottling Demand and Whiskey Distribution
00:34:52 The Rickhouse: Humidity, Oak, and Barrel Char
00:38:01 Barrel Selection and Cooperage Stories
00:41:53 Grain Silos, Smoking, and Milling
00:44:09 Nevada Aging, the Angel’s Share, and Single Barrels
00:49:02 Tasting Notes and Small Batch Blends
00:50:36 Specialty Bourbons and Malted Corn
00:52:39 Fermentation Experiments and Grain Varieties
00:55:43 Malting: Steeping, Germination, and Kilning
01:00:45 Closing and Preview of Part Two
Visit BourbonObsessed.com for more distillery visits, whiskey reviews, news, and podcast episodes. You can also watch this episode on YouTube.
If you enjoyed the episode, please follow the show, share it with a whiskey-loving friend, and leave us a five-star rating and a review.
Cheers!