Holladay Soft Red Wheat
Bottled-in-bond Bourbon | 50% ABV
Score: 6/10
Good stuff.
TL;DR
A great sipper with mellow subtlety if low on complexities
Time To Recharge
Friends shake their heads when they come over and see Ogilvie’s whisky cabinet and bourbon cupboard. For the majority, owning more than two or three bottles of whiskey – any kind of whiskey – is preposterous.
Presently, my whisky cabinet (single malts, blended malts and grain whisky) has dwindled to 24 as finding worthy replacements here in North Carolina is a challenge. My bourbon cupboard (bourbons, ryes, bou-ryes, American whiskey) has a total of 10 bottles. “How do you manage?” those non-whisky-geeks say almost uniformly, wondering how I manage with so many bottles.
Perspective is everything, of course.
For my buddies who are whisky nerds (perhaps more stately to call them ‘whisky aficionados’); they look at the same cabinet and cupboard and yet ask the same question… however; the how do you manage query is blurted in exasperation as I only have thirty-four bottles.
My buddy in Alberta has close to 300 bottles. My buddy in New York has a similar number. Disappointed shakes of the head come my way wondering how such a dearth is allowed to occur in a whisky botherer’s household.
The contrast between friend groups is rather amusing. Though, the latter group has a point to be made: with a more modest collection, gaps appear more readily.
Two weeks ago my bottle of Heaven Hill’s Bottled in Bond bourbon was finally drained. It was, as Rick the retired Marine said, a bottle that was straight, good, and easy… I could do better, but that bottle would give me a good and solid pour. He was spot on and I enjoyed that bottle. I would reach for it when I wasn’t interested in analyzing what was in the glass. It was always welcome for those times when I simply wanted an easy sipper; something wholly pleasant and tasty. It was a great choice for those times when I was not interested in high octane drams, but still wanted something with body and character. Thank you, again, Rick. It was a solid recommendation.
Now, however, I have a significant need to fill in my collection. I have a few single malts in the cabinet that fall into this ‘not-complex-but-tasty-with-character’ category, but only one such bourbon.
Apart from that one bottle, my limited bourbon collection now falls into two categories: on one side there are a number of bottles of which I am not enamoured: whether they are cloyingly sweet, lacking in interest or depth, or of such narrow flavor profiles as to be caricatures of traditional bourbon fare. They do not move the needle in any measurably positive way; at best, “meh”. Lucky for me these bottles elicit oohs and aahs from friends and neighbors and I am happy to pour them drams from these selections.
On the other hand, I am glad to report I have some bottles that are quite good but of which I find myself wanting to sip, sit, and analyze. Those pours are quite good and they happily provide more of a flavor experience which, in turn, demands my attention. These are fantastic to have in the cabinet, and I am slowly and deliberately making my way through them with pleasure. And yet, absent one expression, the middle ground is missing.
Last Friday, while on my way home from work, with that work’s week of drudgery literally and figuratively in the rearview mirror, I stopped at the new ABC store that opened a few months ago. This is not my usual ABC local to my house, and there is a difference in the bourbon options on the shelves. (Unfortunately, it goes without saying that the single malt selections remain a choice largely among bottles of Johnnie Walker, Glenfiddich, and Glenmorangie.) Single malt wasn’t an option as this is the malt whisky desert. Bourbon was on the menu, and as said, I was looking to buttress the solid, good, and easy-sipper category: something that I would enjoy heartily - but not overthink, nor for which I would overpay.
Shuffling through the shelves I spied a bottle that I had not seen previously, but which had had much fanfare and buzz over the past year or so. A resurgent distillery with great accolades for its distillate and whiskey rebirth. The price didn’t offend me and I hoped this could fill the void.
Review
Holladay Soft Red Wheat Bottled-in-Bond, Missouri Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 6 years old, 73% corn, 15% wheat, 12% malted barley, 50% ABV
USD$55 (£42) paid
Holladay bourbon is not new, but it is newly revived. The Holladay name in bourbon started in 1856 when two brothers, Ben Holladay and Majory David Holladay, converted a meat-packing house in Weston, Missouri into a distillery. The limestone spring in Weston provides the mineral-rich waters for the distillate. The distillery passed through different hands until 1993 when the present ownership group acquired the distillery. In 2016 a concerted effort was made to pay homage to its founders and their bourbon-making roots.
As mentioned, Holladay has two primary bourbon bottlings, one with rye in its mashbill and one that substitutes red wheat for the rye in the mashbill. The Holladay soft red wheat recipe has its own story. As the Holladay website states:
Holladay Soft Red Wheat is crafted with the original Holladay recipe with one substitute: wheat for the rye. Holladay Soft Red is made in the original stillhouse, barreled in Missouri white oak barrels, aged onsite in iron-clad rickhouses, and bottled at 100 proof.
Using wheat in a bourbon mash bill often results in a softer and sweeter taste profile than a bourbon made with rye, which typically adds spice to the palate. Soft red wheat has lower protein levels, red bran, and minimal gluten compared to other classes of wheat. Bourbons crafted with Soft Red Wheat offer a soft, smooth finish just as the name suggests.
I have mentioned previously that one of my havens is to sit in my screened-in patio, sitting there listening to the birds and looking at the flora and fauna is an elixir. On this Saturday afternoon - after running errands - I grabbed this bottle, walked out to the patio, sat down, and put my feet up.
I had cracked open this bottle a few times over the past week, and air in the bottle had allowed the flavors to breathe and open up. Now, on this beautiful Saturday, a new dram was poured with anticipation.
Score: 6/10
Good stuff.
TL;DR
A great sipper with mellow subtlety if low on complexities
Nose
This nose is subtle. Soft. There is absolutely no ethanol hint, let alone burn. Slight toffee and cashews. Background of vanilla cream and light oak. There is a herbal note here but I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is. A slight waft of tobacco – not the acrid smoke of a cigarette, but the waft of rich and sweeter notes as if you had rubbed moist pipe tobacco between your fingers. There is a stewed plum note along with Granny Smith apple skins that co-mingle with an unmistakable (to me) scent that a wheated bourbon provides. The note I often find in wheated bourbons is a slightly dusty and earthy version of strawberry oatmeal. A lot to unpack, but still quite subtle and delicate.
Palate
A nice contradiction right out of the gate – soft but a bit peppery. Spicy and woody. And yet, again, the flavors develop and land softly. The vanilla and toffee notes come forward, and not far behind that is a raspberry or boysenberry flavor that layers over my tongue. Things mellow out mid-palate, and I find dark chocolate and apple peels as I swallow and breathe in. The wood tones are there, but they present gently. A nice warmth lingers and re-introduces a bit of bitter spice to blend with the ever-present soft vanilla overtones. This wheat and malt-laden mashbill is lovely as it brings an overall supple and rounded presentation. It all works rather well.
The Dregs
I enjoyed this. I found myself a good and solid sipper. Nothing shouty nor overly charged. Soft yet flavorful. However, as I was writing my nosing and palate notes, I kept appreciating the subtle tobacco notes. And so, on this particular day – a Saturday in which the weather was glorious and I was relishing in the serenity of the back patio – I went to my cabinet and retrieved a cigar to enjoy alongside the bourbon.
Enjoying this dram along with my Kristoff Ligero Maduro cigar was a bit of magic. Yes, the setting in which I was sitting set the mood, but pairing this bourbon with this cigar was a bit of kismet. Inhaling the rich tendrils of smoke and then taking a sip from my dram was wonderful. A great pairing. The herbal richness of each were complimentary and the cigar smoke surprisingly enhanced the apple, dark chocolate, and vanilla notes of the whiskey. In my opinion, the subtleness and mellowness of this red wheat whiskey compliments cigar smoke so much better than an overly sweet or in-your-face bourbon. The proof point is perfect as there is no ethanol burn to clash with the tobacco. Again – a bit of kismet that I am wholly enjoying.
This bourbon is exactly what I was looking for – nothing that was overly complex, nothing that was overly challenging. I wanted a very tasty and pleasant sipper. What I got was exactly that and I am glad to report it happens to be one that goes oh so well with a cigar. I don’t smoke cigars all that often, but this pairing made this 10/10 Saturday full of sunshine and relaxation. In the words of Spinal Tap – go to eleven.
This red wheat mashbill – 73% corn, 15% red wheat, and 12% malted barley – gives it a unique, easy-going, yet full taste. The 27% of wheat and malted barley mellows out the distillate in a lovely way. There is no bite here. The liquid does not need to shout. It provides flavors that are understated and well integrated. Well done.
I paid $55 USD for this bottle (on offer, saving $5 from the suggested retail price) and I am not offended. For a lazy day of kicking back and not over-thinking things, this is a very nice replacement for my Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond. While I enjoyed that Heaven Hill, this Holladay bottled in bond expression is as good - if not a better, though admittedly a different, experience. Different flavor profile, but a very nice simple sipper.
Come on over to the Shaw household for a dram and a cigar and I look forward to chewing the fat with you over a long afternoon. A lovely afternoon it will be.
Score: 6/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. OS
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