Brian’s Ben Holladay Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon Review:
reviewed 06-September-2023
BEN HOLLADAY BOTTLED-IN-BOND BOURBON REVIEW:
Ben Holladay Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon (Ben Holladay) offers an aroma of dry alcohol with a subtle hint of acetone and spice. The first sip is surprisingly warm, bordering on hot and is bolstered by spicy notes of cinnamon, ginger and rye. There aren’t many fruit or sweet notes, but even though this is fairly wood forward, it has decent balance. The finish is long, dry, and warm and the empty glass retains the memory of what was just enjoyed.
BEN HOLLADAY BOTTLED-IN-BOND VITAL STATS:
Category: Bottled-in-Bond
Region: Weston, Missouri
Distillery: Holladay Distillery
DSP Number: DSP-KS-5
Distillation Season: Fall 2016
Mash Bill: undisclosed
Barrell: Missouri White Oak
Char level: #3
Barrel Entry Proof: undisclosed
Number of Barrels: 55
27% came from the 2nd floor of 7-story Rickhouse C
55% came from the 3rd floor of 7-story Rickhouse C
18% came from the 5th floor of 7-story Rickhouse C
ABV: 50% (100 Proof)
NABCA CSC #: 16254
Fair Price: $70.82 (BoozApp, August 2023)
Paid: $59.95 (Idaho, Spring 2023)
A screw-top on a $60 bottle? Really?
This six-year-old, Bottled-in-Bond, Real Missouri Bourbon is crafted with the same mash bill that was developed by Ben Holladay in 1856. This whiskey represents the perfect union of distilling tradition and modern-day production.
Learn more at Holladay Bourbon.
ENJOYMENT METHOD FOR THE REVIEW:
Alternating pours to equate about four ounces, were made into two Glencairns. I shared one of the glasses with my daughter, and I let the liquid in my glass rest for about 30 minutes before taking the first sip. These pours were made on Day 6 of the 2023 30 Bourbons in 30 Days Challenge.
BEN HOLLADAY BOTTLED-IN-BOND NOSE:
The aroma of Ben Holladay opens dry, with a fairly strong alcohol presence accompanied by a trace of acetone which contributes a touch of harshness. Then, herbal notes blend an inviting scent of corn, dusty grain, and a subtle sensation of green vegetables. Any fruits are subdued by the alcohol’s aroma, although careful nosing can coax out currants and old raisins along with bitter citrus marmalade. The presence of ginger and cracked green pepper, with a forward rye character, adds a welcome dose of spice. But like the subdued fruit aromas, sugars are scant as well. Just undertones of vanilla taffy and circus peanuts, accompanied by a whisper of simple syrup and faint burnt sugar are all I find. Other than spice, the strongest aromas are of seasoned oak, hazy toasted wood, subtle char, and faint notes of smoke.
BEN HOLLADAY BOTTLED-IN-BOND PALATE:
At the first sip, Ben Holladay ignites the palate with its hot, alcohol-forward introduction. With subsequent sips, herbal notes fade in adding the comforting flavors of corn and dusty grain. As I noted on the nose, the fruit flavors are almost non-existent … I get only a subtle hint of currants with an interesting contrast of acidic marmalade. Spices of cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, and characteristic rye add to the kick. Continued tasting brings flavors of nearly burnt sugar and dark molasses, which do soothe my tongue with a pleasing, but dark sweetness. Working through the glass, the flavors deepen as heavy and strong, old oak and hazy, smoky barrel char culminate in distinct earthiness reminiscent of damp soil.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
While Ben Holladay is light on the aromas and flavors of fruit and sweet, it is relatively balanced in alcohol, spice and wood as noted in the graph below. It does lean more heavily on the side of oak, but woody notes fit my profile. In my mouth, the bourbon maintains a silken texture, although with a good Kentucky Chew, there is some roughness and grit. In the glass, a thin crown with few droplets hangs between sips. After each sip, a thick sheet of liquid forms then breaks into thick, long, clinging legs fall back to the tawny-colored pool.
BEN HOLLADAY BOTTLED-IN-BOND FINISH
The finish of Ben Holladay Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon lingers in the dry warmth of alcohol. Its spirited farewell is accompanied by dark herbal notes of grain, black pepper and rye, followed by an unusual note of dark bittersweet chocolate. There’s more burnt sugar and dark molasses, but they work well with the heavy oak and hazy, smoky barrel char. And as I found on the palate, a distinct earthiness, almost like soil or dirt, adds another layer to the experience. And after the last sip, the empty Glencairn offers an aroma of alcohol-soaked oak planks.
MY RATING: 85/100
Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
Click 85/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
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