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New 123.4-proof whiskey prompts expert warning that stronger isn't always better
A new whiskey from a family-owned Nevada distillery is bottled at 123.4 proof, a number that might intimidate some whiskey drinkers.
But does a higher proof necessarily mean a better drink?
The answer isn't as simple as the number on the bottle, according to a spirits expert and the distillery's owners.
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Aged in oak barrels for five to eight years, the Third Harvest whiskey from Frey Ranch Farmers & Distillers in Fallon, Nevada, is 61.7% alcohol by volume (ABV), the equivalent of 123.4 proof.
Colby and Ashley Frey, co-founders and owners of the distillery, spoke with Fox News Digital about their farming heritage and the new whiskey.
Colby Frey's family began farming in northern Nevada in 1854, and he's kept the legacy alive.
"We've been continually farming in Nevada ever since," he told Fox News Digital.
The Third Harvest whiskey is made from a blend of corn, rye, malted barley, wheat and triticale, a wheat-rye hybrid.
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Frey Ranch grows 100% of its grains on-site, and the sole purpose of those grains is to become whiskey.
"It's really rare in the whiskey world to do that," Colby said.
Despite its high proof, the number is not outrageous, Derek Brown of Drink Company, a Washington, D.C.-based hospitality consulting and events company, told Fox News Digital.
"There are many whiskies that are barrel strength, although this one is certainly toward the upper limit," Brown said, adding that some of his favorite bottles are high proof.
Brown noted that, ideally, a high-proof spirit will have more complex flavors from the barrels it's aged in as opposed to an overpowering alcohol flavor.
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"It can definitely produce a burning sensation and be too much if the other flavors, especially those from wood maturation, are not also present," he said.
The Freys acknowledged that this specific bottle has a high proof, but they said the number doesn't tell the whole story.
"We like to pick our whiskey and proof our whiskey based on flavor profiles, not on proof," Ashley Frey said. "So, we'll always taste it at various proofs, and, for us, we want to be able to say we're tasting the best expression of our grain as a whiskey."
This batch, she added, "is going to be for somebody who's really searching and has a refined palate that's able to pull out all these flavor profiles."
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Brown agreed, saying it's "definitely for the initiated."
"However, if you're willing to take a chance, it's entirely reasonable to add water or an ice cube to whiskey if it's too strong for you," he said.
Those who are sensitive to bitter, bold flavors might be better off choosing a different beverage, Brown recommended.
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Only about 700 bottles will be made from this specific batch, priced at $299 each.
"It's really a piece of me and Colby's hard work and heritage and love for the land and agriculture that's expressed through a bottle of whiskey," Ashley Frey said.
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Still, it's important to consume high-proof spirits mindfully, ideally with food, Brown suggested.
