Ben Holladay 6 Year Bottled in Bond Bourbon

This is a sample from Spring '22. It's quite good. If tasted blind, you'd swear it came from Kentucky. I detect notes of rich caramel, vanilla, cherry, butterscotch, cocoa, barrel, and a hint of nuttiness. Flavor profile-wise, it reminds me of wild turkey 101, but perhaps with a touch more butterscotch and dark cherry, and less nuttiness and citrus. This makes sense as I believe the mash bills are similar (based on information shared at the distillery). The only drawback is the cost, though I suppose it's appropriately priced for the current market, especially considering they've launched with a 6-year-old product. If you're in the Kansas City vicinity, I highly recommend touring the distillery. The landscape features lovely rolling hills, limestone wells (discovered by Lewis and Clark), a cave (for future double-oaked releases), and brick and wood rick houses, just like the major distilleries in KY. They allow you to sample the fermenting tanks and taste the white dog. The staff are fantastic. I feel fortunate and excited to have this place nearby. I have a single barrel, barrel-proof offering to review another time, but for now, I'm content enjoying this.

Distilled Fall 2016, bottled March 9, 2023, 6+ years. DSP MO-5, Rickhouse C, 10% 4th floor, 68% 3d floor, 22% 2d floor. Sampled neat. A dark rose copper color with very light coating legs in the glass. The nose is subtle – vanilla, dry grass, caramel. In the mouth, it's thin and sugary sweet. Little depth, some cherry and vanilla, and oak appears late. Little ethanol or oak tannins. Watery mouthfeel. The finish shows more oak and spice, and a tingle lingers, but the sweetness is thin. An ice cube diminishes the existing flavors, leaving this thinner and sweeter. Smarties! I've sampled the Holladay BIB wheated and wheated rickhouse proof. However, this falls short of those. Drinkable, potentially mixable, but significantly overpriced. I appreciate the bottle, the label information, and indeed the metal screw cap. Keep it straightforward! They are doing things correctly at this distillery by producing their own spirit and exercising patience and transparency, but this bourbon requires more time in oak, or blending with barrels from higher rickhouse floors. It's a lower floor bottle. Disappointing. As always, I will update over time... bottle flavors and my preferences do evolve.

The aroma presents traditional vanilla and caramel notes, along with a candy-like banana essence. It's not a profound or rich scent, but it certainly possesses qualities that warrant recognition. The taste feels somewhat diluted. Vanilla and unripe banana dominate, followed by a hint of burnt caramel. There are also acetone/nail polish undertones that suggest its age. It's not unpleasant, but it's quite ordinary. The finish has a slightly woody character, accompanied by pleasant caramel candy notes that develop a slight bitterness at the end. Overall: High commendations for the accomplishment here. An old label was revived, and instead of sourcing a readily available product, patience was exercised, resulting in a 6-year Bottled-in-Bond release rather than a standard whiskey. This was not an easy path, as it would have been simpler to release a younger spirit, a straight bourbon, or bottle someone else's distillate. The whiskey itself is a bit thin and one-dimensional. I'd be interested to taste it after another couple of years in the barrel, and perhaps at cask strength. For now, it's an unremarkable whiskey with potential, just not quite ready.

Initially, I wasn't fond of this upon opening. It presented primarily as simple medicinal cherry and oak. However, after three months of aeration... Nose: Oak and I still detect cherry, but a dominant floral aroma blends with a note resembling Smarties candy or sweet cherry Kool-Aid. Palate: It has a creamy texture for a six-year-old, and I no longer get the cherry aroma. Instead, there's a prominent lemon flavor followed by leather, with a combination of more oak and floral notes. I don't detect any vanilla or caramel, which are typical in bourbon. Finish: Dry, with hints of leather, allspice, oak, and lemon. I enjoy it, though its excessive dryness slightly lowers the score. I suspect batch variations will be common. This particular one consists of 11% floor 5, 40% floor 4, 31% floor 3, and 18% floor 2. However, this batch is truly pleasant and offers a distinct departure from most Kentucky bourbon flavor profiles. The bottle I acquired was quite tight and one-dimensional when first opened but has now evolved into a unique experience.

Overall: Hailing from Missouri, I'll strive for impartiality. Given its age and price, I anticipated it would closely resemble Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond (which I greatly enjoy), but it diverges. Instead of pursuing a dark, rich dessert profile, it focuses on fruits, and it executes this capably. I desire a more substantial mouthfeel, but I am not regretful about purchasing this bottle. At $51 before tax, I look forward to comparing it with Old Forester Bottled-in-Bond. My intuition suggests it will be a contrast between bananas and dates. Nose: Ripe fruits: Strawberries and raspberries. With more time, a molasses aroma unifies everything. Palate: Rye bread immediately struck me. The spice, combined with a hollow texture I associate with Campari. This isn't a negative, but a distinct textural characteristic found in certain drinks. This rapidly transforms into the sweetness of dates and vanilla ice cream. Finish: Medium to medium-short length. Grape jelly - authentic grape jelly, unlike the grape candy flavor of Buffalo Trace.

The aroma presents caramel, red apples, sugar candy, and blue raspberry cotton candy, with a subtle background of baking spices. This spirit is bright with pleasing dark undertones. The taste brings caramel popcorn, followed by the expected vanilla and a touch of oak. A mild drying oak presence is noted on the finish, along with a faint tannic quality. However, to be candid, this is quite enjoyable. Overall, this is exceptionally smooth on the palate, and its balance is outstanding. While the mash bill is unknown, it's likely predominantly corn, around 75-80%. It is very sweet, and a nice rye undertone enhances the experience. This is an excellent Bottled-in-Bond option. I'd be interested in comparing it blind against EHT and Bardstown Origins BiB. Extremely easy to drink. 4.35