Ben Holladay was born in Kentucky in 1819 and moved to Weston, Missouri as a teenager. There he built a transportation empire that included steamboats, streetcars, railroad, and a stagecoach line which he eventually sold to Wells Fargo. By the late 1800s, he was the largest individual employer in the U.S.

‍‍‍‍In 1856, Ben and his brother David distilled their first batch of bourbon under the name Blue Spring Distillery. A year later, Ben transferred ownership to his brother, and ownership stayed in the family until the end of the century. In the 1900s, ownership changed three more times, before being acquired by the current owner, McCormick Distilling Company. In 2015, the distillery underwent a $10 million renovation, and the company began distilling bourbon on-site for the first time in 30 years, bringing back the Holladay namesake.

‍‍‍‍Ben Holladay Soft Red Wheat Bottled in Bond Bourbon was distilled in the spring of 2017, aged in Rickhouse C on the fourth floor, and bottled in August 2023.

‍‍‍Ben Holladay Soft Red Wheat Bottled in Bond Bourbon is called a Missouri bourbon, though no such classification exists with the Federal TTB. According to Missouri law, to be labeled a “Missouri Bourbon,” the bourbon must meet the federal bourbon standards and additionally, must be made with corn grown in Missouri (as of January 1, 2020), and also be mashed, fermented, distilled, aged, and bottled in the state.

A bounty’s worth of apricot mixed with stone fruit begins this bourbon on a chipper note. A steady thread of vanilla-infused oak and graham cracker is weaved throughout, providing a beautiful complementary element to the fruit. There’s a touch of herbal graininess to the aroma that adds a nice contrast to what came before it. The aroma’s intensity is also good for its proof, allowing all of its scents to come off clear and distinct.

A semi-creamy mouthfeel is immediately apparent as it carries with it hefty amounts of toffee and charred oak upfront. As it slowly recedes, notes of leather, mixed nuts, and fig come to the forefront, further grounding the bourbon’s sip. Tempered notes of sweet vanilla wafer and red fruit eventually come forth adding some much needed diversity. It’s a fairly tight flavor profile, with all of its flavors working in unison rather than fighting for individual attention.

Some mild dryness, bitterness, and potent spice develop as the bourbon concludes. Oak is still heavily featured since the sip started and begins to wear out its welcome. Thankfully, dark red fruit springs forth in the form of black cherry, red currant, and prune. There is still a touch of sweet vanilla present, but it develops more robust qualities in the form of vanilla extract. The finish, like the rest of the sip, features uniformity of its flavors, but its ramp up of bitterness and spice keeps it from its full potential.

Ben Holladay’s standard bourbon is made with 15% rye, and when the idea came up to make a wheated bourbon, they changed out the rye for the exact same amount of wheat. You’d expect then that Ben Holladay Soft Red Wheat Bourbon would be a softer and sweeter tasting bourbon compared to the more spicy Ben Holladay Bottled in Bond Missouri Straight Bourbon, but that isn’t necessarily the case. Keeping the same percentages in the mashbill and age and simply changing out the secondary grain makes for a fairly direct comparison and allows them to gravitate to the style of bourbon they prefer.

Ben Holladay hit the scene with an impressive 6 year old age statement. With the release of their Soft Red Wheat Bourbon, they kept the same age statement, and as a result, are one of the few 6 year old Bottled in Bonded wheated bourbons on the market (with Wilderness Trail being a notable alternative). There are a decent amount of non bottled in bond 6 year old wheated bourbons on the market, and there are of course the most well known and accessible wheated bourbons on the market, specifically, Larceny, Maker's Mark, and the Weller brand line.

It’s also worth noting that soft red wheat by its very nature can give off a more nutty and bitter taste than traditional wheat, despite featuring “soft” in its name. That is a noticeable quality of  Ben Holladay Soft Red Wheat Bourbon as it features a boldness of flavor for its 100 proof, but it's also a little rough around the edges. While sweet, it's not as smooth compared to Maker’s Mark or Larceny. It also doesn’t stray too far from a typical wheated flavor profile, offering slight variances, but far from coming off like a reinterpretation of the style.  

Ben Holladay Soft Red Wheat Bourbon’s $60 price point definitely comes across as fair for a 6 year old bottled in bond bourbon from a boutique distillery. Wilderness Trail 6 Year Old Bottled in Bond Wheated Bourbon is set at $70 and often goes for more. By comparison mass-produced releases like Larceny and Maker’s Mark don’t disclose their exact age and are also proofed lower, are certainly value picks for the sip they offer at their ~$30 price points. Larceny Barrel Proof Bourbon by comparison, is 6-8 years old and found for $5-$10 more and depending on the batch, can reach great heights or lows. But Ben Holladay’s sip offers just a bit more distinction. Whether it's worth double the price is up to the individual, but given the market, Ben Holladay is priced right for what it offers.

Since its inception, Ben Holladay has been the most prominent and prolific of Missouri’s bourbon distilleries. They’ve done well making a name for themselves through great communication, marketing, and an overall quality product that people have connected to. That connection seems to have been especially poignant with the release of their Soft Red Wheat bourbons. They have developed something of a cult following especially among private barrel clubs with their cask strength offering.

Focusing on the Bottled in Bond version, the bourbon packs a good deal of heft for its proof, with ample amounts of toffee and oak found throughout its sip. Its creamy mouthfeel is notable on the palate, and its finish ramps up the overall spice factor considerably. Though the “soft” and “wheat” in the bourbon’s name may catch people off guard, as the bourbon isn’t as soft nor as sweet as you’d expect it to be. With good flavors and a surprising amount of boldness for its 100 proof sip, it will satisfy those looking for that particular style of bourbon. For others, that may not be enough to fold them into the Ben Holladay fanfare.