Inside the bottle: Weston’s Holladay Distillery whiskey bottles don’t stay full for long around here
Holladay Distillery bottles // Photo by Mike Dahlor
It has been over 160 years since Ben Holladay and his brother David devised a better plan for the limestone waters of Weston, MO. First, the site was used for a meat packing plant. In 1856 they launched what is now recognized as the oldest distillery west of the Mississippi, still operating in its original location.
Through several changes in ownership (and names) the McCormick Distilling Company was established in 1942, with its final change in ownership happening in 1996. At that time, bourbon had not been produced on-site for almost a decade. As bourbon began to boom again in the United States, it also began to flow again at McCormick Distillery, and in 2022, the newly branded Holladay Distillery released it first bourbon offering.
Take a trip to your favorite wine and spirits store, or book a day trip back in time on site at Holladay Distillery for a tour of the picturesque property. Either option is a perfect way to give the bourbon drinker in your life a warm, Missouri bourbon hug.
Ben Holladay Missouri Straight Bourbon–Aged 6 Years
Nicknamed “Ben” this is Holladay’s “Rickhouse Proof” offering. The nice twist on this offering is the amount of time and effort Master Distiller Kyle Merklein takes to find the perfect blend of barrel proof offerings across the entire campus of aging warehouses. The Ben Holladay is a blended, barrel proof offering and just what the bourbon lover in your house ordered for these chilly winter evenings.
On the nose
The cherry, vanilla, and oak blend beautifully on this nose. If one spends some time exploring, the rye and honeysuckle begin to call out from deep within the pour.
On the palate
Sweet Bing cherry and char lead this ensemble of flavor, but the rye spice, not to be ignored, dances in pop-rock bursts across the mid-palate, settling onto the sides of the tongue and waiting patiently for their curtain call in the finish.
Finish
Mid to Long finish with that rye spice, reluctantly, giving way to the sweet, charred cherries that just want to hang out and visit all night.
ABV: 58.95% ABV (117.9 Proof)
Rating: 90
Price: $69.99
Holladay Soft Red Wheat: Bottled in Bond–Aged 6 Years
Nicknamed “Soft Red” this is an offering from Holladay Distillery which pulls the traditional rye grain in most bourbon mash bills and replaces it with Soft Red Wheat. This is what is known in the bourbon world as a “wheater”. Why? Good question! Wheat grain tends to present a more sweet flavor profile to the whiskey, while rye lends a spicier note. Aged two years above and beyond what is required by Bottled in Bond legislation, here’s what it has to offer:
On the nose
A blend of mild oak char and black cherry. There are hints of malted grain coming through with baking spice and butterscotch candy hiding deep in the nose. I, for one, enjoy whiskey that makes me really dig in to explore, and these butterscotch candy notes do just that!
On the palate
Sweet cherry notes with char, but the char is predominately more of an oak note than just charred wood. The softness that the wheat imparts makes this sip dangerously under its 50% ABV with the weight of flavors resting on the back palate. This offers up a pleasantly balanced oak char, cherry, and caramelized honey.
Finish
Mid to short with the black cherry/oak notes riding tandem throughout.
ABV: 50% ABV (100 Proof)
Rating: 89
Price: $59.99
Score Key:
90-100: Buy it, hoard it. Share it only with Whiskey nerds who you want to be indebted to you.
70-89: Buy it, enjoy it liberally because you can get more when you want to.
40-69: Worth it to try because you can always make a cocktail if you need to
20-39: go ahead if you want to… experience is learning.
0-19: You were warned.
