Ben Holladay Wheated Bourbon 2017 Rick House Proof landed on my desk and immediately caught my attention. For those unfamiliar, a wheated bourbon swaps out the rye grain in the mashbill for wheat, sitting alongside corn and malted barley. That substitution matters more than most people realise — wheat delivers a softer, rounder character compared to rye's spice, and at rick house proof (bottled at 59.9% ABV straight from the warehouse without proofing down), you're getting the whiskey exactly as it matured. No water added, no adjustment. What the barrel produced is what's in the bottle, and that's always worth paying attention to.
What to Expect
Wheated bourbons occupy a particular space in American whiskey. Think of the family tree: Maker's Mark, Weller, Larceny — these are the classics of the style. Ben Holladay Wheated Bourbon sits in that lineage but takes a different path by going full rick house proof. At nearly 60% ABV, this isn't a casual sipper straight out of the gate. There's going to be serious barrel influence here, concentrated and uncut. The wheat in the mashbill should temper some of that heat, giving you richness and body without the sharp bite you'd find in a high-rye bourbon at similar strength.
The 2017 designation on the label suggests this spent a meaningful amount of time in wood, though no official age statement is provided. What I can tell you is that rick house proof releases are inherently interesting because barrel placement within the warehouse directly affects the final product. Barrels stored higher up experience greater temperature swings, driving more aggressive interaction with the charred oak. Lower placements tend to produce mellower, more grain-forward whiskey. Without knowing the exact placement, you're essentially tasting the distillery's curatorial choice — they picked this barrel or set of barrels because the proof and flavour profile hit the mark.
The Verdict
At £92.95, Ben Holladay Wheated Bourbon 2017 Rick House Proof sits in competitive territory. You're paying for an uncut, unfiltered expression that delivers the bourbon as it was meant to taste straight from the rick house, and that transparency is worth something. The wheated mashbill at this proof is a combination that rewards patience — a few drops of water will open this up considerably, and I'd encourage you to experiment rather than committing to it neat on the first pour. This scores a 7.6 out of 10 from me. It's a well-made, honest bourbon that does what it sets out to do: deliver full-proof wheated character without compromise. It doesn't try to be flashy, and I respect that.
Best Served
Pour it neat first and sit with it for five minutes. Then add four or five drops of water and taste again — the difference at this ABV will be striking. Once you've got the measure of it, this wheated profile makes a fantastic Old Fashioned. The soft wheat character plays beautifully with a good demerara sugar cube and a couple of dashes of Angostura. Use a wide orange peel expressed over the top, and you've got a drink that punches well above most bourbon Old Fashioneds. The proof means it holds its structure over ice without going thin, which is exactly what you want in a stirred cocktail.
