Holladay 6 Year Soft Red Wheat Rickhouse Proof Bourbon

🎩✨ “Another Wheater? 🌾 Don’t Mind If I Do!” – Adventures in Soft Red Wheat Wonderment 🥃 Hold onto your Glencairns, folks—we’re headed to the rolling hills of Weston, Missouri, where the mighty Holladay Distillery (yep, the historic DSP-MO-5, no less!) has cooked up a real wheated wizard in a bottle. This gem comes courtesy of the fine folks at McCormick Distilling Co., who clearly decided that “smooth” and “strong” can absolutely go hand-in-hand. 🌾 Introducing: the Soft Red Wheat Rickhouse Proof Bourbon — clocking in at a spicy 59.9% ABV (that’s a bold 119.8 proof for those doing math with one eye open). But don’t let the numbers scare you—this isn’t a fiery dragon, it’s a toasted marshmallow riding a cinnamon stick into the sunset. ⸻ 🧬 Wheat Science, but Make It Fun Let’s talk soft red winter wheat. It’s planted in the fall, sleeps through winter (just like us), and wakes up ready to add a smoother, silkier profile to your favorite sipper. Less bite, more delight. It’s the kind of grain that gives a whiskey a gentle, sweet kiss instead of a slap across the palate. And in this case, it makes up a hefty 76% of the mash bill, alongside 12% rye for a little spice and 12% malted barley for complexity. A well-balanced trio—like a bluegrass band in a bourbon bottle. ⸻ 👃 Nose Dive (the good kind) From the very first sniff—WHAM!—a rush of warm toffee, brown sugar, and soft tannic oak rise up like freshly baked pecan rolls on a chilly morning. You know something good’s coming. ⸻ 👅 Palate Party On the tongue, this wheated wonder flows like golden molasses over cornbread. Baking spices waltz with vanilla bean, with a whisper of dried fruits trailing behind like a ribbon in the wind. It’s rich. It’s rounded. It’s elegantly assertive. ⸻ 🌀 The Finish Line And just when you think the show’s over—boom—a lingering finish arrives with cinnamon, black pepper, and just a nudge of sweet oak like the final note of a southern lullaby. It lingers like the memory of a perfect fall evening. ⸻ 🗺️ Barrel Breakdown (a tale of two floors) Distilled in the crisp air of Fall 2017, this liquid dream matured for just over 6 years in Rickhouse C. But wait—there’s drama! This wasn’t just aged anywhere…    •   36% came from Floor 3—cooler, calmer, more patient.    •   64% came from Floor 4—hotter, bolder, more intense. The result? A bottle that dances between both worlds with perfect poise. Bottled in April 2024, this wheated whiskey walks the line between power and polish. And folks, let me tell you—it’s delicious. ⸻ 🛎️ Final Verdict: A heavenly wheated gem. A strong contender for your “Desert Island Dram.” Or, at the very least, your “Monday Was Too Long” pour. Either way—don’t sleep on Holladay. They’re doing something very right out in Missouri. ⸻ 🎥 Like what you see? Then do what the whiskey gods intended: 👉 Like 💬 Comment 🔁 Share 📬 SUBSCRIBE for more bourbon-fueled banter and bottle breakdowns! Full Video Review: https://youtu.be/mU_2RtwbvpA?si=eSPRVoSr-OhXU201 YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@belmontbjornsbourbonbanter?si=3SL_g71UKHfR-NpP ⸻ 🥃 Cheers, friends—and may your next pour be just as wheated and wonderful! #1000subscriber #whiskytubefamily #friends #friends bourbonwhiskey #bourbon #alcohol #whiskey #whisky #whiskyforthepeople #whiskeyfun #1000subscribers #ticktock #ticktok #kentuckybourbon #kentuckybourbontrail #belmont #airstream

Rickhouse C Distilled - Spring 2017 Bottled - October 2023 Age - 6 years 60.05% abv; 120.1 proof Open 3 months Nose - Sharp grain, hot cinnamon, bright cherry, fake vanilla, white pepper, orange peel, light to no oak, and strong ethanol. Palate - Hot, young grain, medicinal cherry, white grape, fresh cut grass, white pepper, and Red Hots. Finish is medium with sharp, bitter grain, fake vanilla, cracked peppercorn, dry cinnamon, musty hay, and strong ethanol bite. I meant to review this sooner, just to help save people some money. This is hot garbage. Literally. It is all sharp, young, hot grain with very little flavor outside of the fake cherry and cinnamon notes. Initially I thought I was buying the brand new Rickhouse Proof rye bourbon that YouTubers were raving about, had no clue they also had a wheated bourbon. This also received good reviews so I wasn't disappointed when I left the store. But it is just a really poor imitation of Maker's Mark Cask Strength at almost double the cost. They're not even close flavor-wise, MM CS is more refined, sweeter, and features a more pleasant cherry. I could go to the store right now and pick up the 375 mL gift pack of MM 46 CS and a private select for $45. For $80, this is a terrible buy. It's one of the worst wheated bourbons I've ever had.

Soft red wheated straight bourbon. Distilled 2018, aged 6 years in charred new oak barrels stored in Rickhouse B floor 4 (47%) and Rickhouse C floor 3 (17%) and floor 5 (36%). Bottled in October 2024 at rickhouse proof (60.75% ABV, 121.5 proof).Tasted neat. Nose is spicy with warm oak underlying a sweet grain profile. In the mouth, sweet honey, cherry, spicy baking spices, then dry oak tannins and an ethanol bloom. Mouthfeel is thin at first but grows into the finish, which is grassy and spicy, and dry char oak tannins, overlaying a white sugar sweet (and lightly sour cherry) aftertaste of average length. Holladay is doing all the right things--making and patiently-aging (6 years!) their own distillate from Missouri grains, putting it into nice embossed bottles with metal screw caps (yeah!) with vintage-style labels, tracking the rickhouse and floor of the barrels in each bottle, and issuing it either BIB or rickhouse proof. I tried the BIB soft red wheated bourbon previously and think this higher proof version is similar but more interesting. Look forward to trying the regular Holladay bourbons.

NEAT NOSE - Cherries, Raspberry, Honey, Caramel, Sweet Oak PALATE - Bold and Rich with a viscous mouthfeel. This, interestingly is a honey/caramel bomb. The palate starts out with honey and caramel supplemented by the slightest notes of berries and cherries. Finally, on the finish the caramel predominantly comes back to shine supported by some sweet oak. FINISH - Decent/moderate. Sweet for sure. BUY? - Absolutely. Support craft distilleries especially ones that make good bourbon. I can’t wait to see what this tastes like with some more age. BUY AGAIN? - While I wouldn’t hesitate to buy this again, I’d love to see what it would do with some more age. In comparison to something like Weller FP, this gives more of a honey and caramel sweetness/richness whereas the Weller FP has more of a raspberry cherry sweetness and is brighter. With that being said, this is outstanding in it’s own right.

The nose on this one is soft and floral, with hints of cereal. Although this is rickhouse proof, the nose is not overpowering. The palate brings cereal notes, with spices, but not as much heat as the Straight Bourbon Whiskey Rickhouse Proof. There's a little heat, but I think the sweetness of the wheat helps turn it down a bit. The finish is long, with a bit of a burn. With a little water, I get some berries (?) and cherry coke-like notes on the nose, but the palate has more cereal and nutty flavors. I think more cereal/oatmeal notes, and the finish is soft and medium. I like this one.

I went on a tour at Holladay and I loved it! The history as well as the Bourbon is very rich! Ownership went from hand to hand and it landed back partially with the family. Beautiful place too! After the visit and the tasting, I chose this ine to brjng home. Beautiful dark caramel color. Nose - charred oak, sugar cookie, sweet alcohol Palate - sugar cookies, vanilla cake, smoky oak, pepper, cinnamon finish. This is an interesting flavor profile bringing a bit of smokiness to a Bourbon, which is not common. I like that! It’s a bit rough on the edges, but very good overall. Cheers!