A Tale of Two Whiskeys
It is the best of times, and well, Kansas City, it is the very best of times.
For here, in the City of Fountains, it is the Age of Bourbon. It is the Epoch of In-Bond Booze, a Season of Whiskey, and a Spring of Hope marked by the arrival by two compelling, local spirits. On May 21 of this year, Holladay Distillery released their Ben Holladay Missouri Straight Bourbon. Nearly immediately after, J. Rieger & Co. released their Straight Bourbon Whiskey on June 2. Both of these are in-bond bourbons that are distilled locally in the Kansas City metro. But it is within those first two words that the significance lies - “in-bond” and “bourbon”. While either one would be cause for celebration, the proximity of the pair of releases is particularly noteworthy and exciting for the city’s whiskey drinkers.
Both aged six years, from the Spring of 2016 to the Spring of 2022, Weston’s Holladay Distillery and Kansas City’s J. Rieger & Co. both recently released a bottled-in-bond bourbon.
Published June 8, 2022
“Think of the relationship between bourbon and whiskey just like the one between squares and rectangles. All bourbons are whiskey, but not all whiskeys are bourbon. ”
Now you may not understand the significance. After all, “bourbon is just another name for whiskey right?” Well it can be, but it is also most definitely not. Whiskey generally can refer to any distilled liquor made from a fermented mash of cereal grains and aged in wooden barrels or casks but the process, geography, and grains, as well as the presence or lack of presence of any artificial or outside flavors, all go into defining the type of whiskey. A lot of words that many recklessly use in place of whiskey - such as rye, malt, scotch, and yes, bourbon - are actually very specific types of the spirit with carefully defined characteristics and attributes. Think of the relationship between bourbon and whiskey just like the one between squares and rectangles. All bourbons are whiskey, but not all whiskeys are bourbon.
In fact, among whiskeys, bourbon may have the strictest qualifiers. There are five very rigid rules that a whiskey must adhere to in order to be deemed bourbon.
Bourbon must be comprised from a mash bill that is at least 51% corn. A mash bill is central to any whiskey recipe. It refers to the combination of grains, and proportions of each, utilized in distilling a spirit.
Bourbon must be aged in a BRAND NEW, charred, oak barrel. While there is no requirement for the period that bourbon must be aged, it is commonly done for a period of at least two years. Once a bourbon barrel has been used, it may still be used for aging but it cannot be used for aging bourbon.
Bourbon may not enter the barrel for aging at a proof higher than 125 (62.5% ABV) and it cannot be bottled at a proof lower than 80 (40% ABV). Of course, ABV refers to alcohol-by-volume.
Bourbon must be free of artificial flavorings and colors. While flavored whiskeys are not uncommon, there can be no such thing as, let’s say, an apple bourbon or a vanilla bourbon. Genuine is the name of the game. The flavor of bourbon is entirely natural and purely influenced by the barrel, the mash, the water, the temperatures at which it is kept, and the duration of the aging.
Bourbon must be made in the United States. It is a common misconception that bourbon cannot be made outside of the state of Kentucky but that is simply not true. Now while, due to geologic conditions (ample limestone shelves and springs), abundancy of hard water which is optimal for distilling, availability of corn (it is grown in every county in the state!), tradition, and ideal weather conditions for the aging process, 95% of the world’s bourbon is made in Kentucky, it is not a requirement. Any U.S. state will do.
These are the laws of bourbon, and while you may scoff, there are actual laws that govern this kind of thing! In fact, when the U.S. Congress first passed laws in the late 1800s determining what it meant to be a bourbon, and then in 1897 what it meant to be bottled-in-bond, they were actually passing some of the nation’s, and world’s, first-ever foods standards and quality laws. With Holladay Distillery and J.Rieger & Co. both releasing a bourbon that also has the designation of “in-bond”, they are required to confirm to an additional set of uncompromising federal standards in order to bear that designation.
To be considered in-bond, a whiskey must be the product of a single distiller in the United States.
To be considered in-bond, a whiskey must be made in a single season, either Spring (January - June) or Fall (July - December).
To be considered in-bond, a whiskey must be aged for a minimum of four (4) years in a federally bonded warehouse.
To be considered in-bond, a whiskey must be bottled at 100 Proof (50% ABV) in the same location that it was distilled.
By their very nature, standards are about quality. They prevent the adulteration or misrepresentation of a product. When a bourbon bottle bears those three little words, “Bottled In-Bond”, it lets consumers know that the product within that bottle conforms to all nine of these rigorous standards. When the laws were first passed, it guaranteed the consumer was actually drinking bourbon. Now, it still sends a loud and clear message about its caliber. Quality is something that Holladay and J. Rieger know something about. It is something that their loyal customers have come to expect of them. And rightfully so! Excellence has been at the bedrock of these two iconic Kansas City brands since this city’s earliest days.
Drawn to the Limestone Rock
Weston’s Holladay Distillery has the distinction of being not only the oldest distillery in the State of Missouri or Kansas, but also being the oldest distillery west of the Mississippi River to have continuously operated on their original site. While the distillery was founded in 1856, Holladay’s story begins a bit earlier than that. As many good bourbons do, the story of Holladay Distillery begins with water.
In 1804, President Thomas Jefferson commissioned Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to lead the Corps of Discovery Expedition to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase and establish trade routes along the Missouri River. That same year, when passing through what would become the Town of Weston, the pair discovered and charted a set of limestone springs from which their crew and horses drank from before continuing west. When the Corps of Discovery concluded their quest in 1806, Lewis and Clark were handsomely rewarded by a very grateful President. However, these springs, which were otherwise a very minute footnote in the most famous expedition in American history, caught the attention of a very savvy king.
The “Ancient Cave” was formerly a meat curing facility and the original barrel-storage facility for the Holladay brothers’ bourbon. Now it’s been converted to a theater for use on their daily tour.
”The Stagecoach King” Ben Holladay was born in Blue Lick Springs, Kentucky in 1819 and as a teenager made his way to Missouri. He began his career as a trading post clerk and then a courier between Weston and Salt Lake City. His knowledge of the freight industry and the relationships he built with the Mormon community would eventually allow him to build a freight empire that controlled the majority of freight, mail, and stagecoach traffic between the Missouri River and Pacific Ocean.
Early in his monarchy, in 1849, King Holladay became aware of the limestone springs that Lewis and Clark discovered and purchased the land on which they sat. Being a native Kentuckian, he recognized that the limestone-filtered waters and Weston’s climate offered him the ideal conditions and resources for distilling whiskey. He partnered with his brother David to make that dream a reality. The brothers repurposed a meat packing house on the property as a distillery and utilized a cave that had previously been used for meat curing as a place to store their barrels. In 1856, they opened the Blue Springs Distillery, selling their whiskey for 35 cents per gallon.
For Ben Holladay, the distillery would be a very small part of a portfolio that included gold and silver mines, saloons, and even the Pony Express. He would become one of the wealthiest men in America and the nation’s largest private employer. The Stagecoach King” considered the likes of President Abraham Lincoln and Brigham Young among his personal counsel. Given his virtual monopoly of caravan lines going west, it was incredibly likely that the whiskeys and bourbons being served in Wild West saloons were Holladay’s. Eventually Holladay would sell his stage business to Wells Fargo for nearly $2 million in cash and stock options. Unfortunately, Holladay lost all of his wealth during the Panic of 1873 and when he passed in 1887, was relatively unknown. However, one small piece of his once great empire, the family’s distillery in Weston, continued on.
When it comes to bourbon in this region, shipping and freight clearly played a large role. It makes sense given that the stagecoach lines, barges, and railroads are really what gave birth to the Kansas City metropolitan area. Around the same time that the Stagecoach King’s reign met a tragic end, the reign of another bourbon baron was just beginning.
The Mail-Order Bourbon Shop
Jacob Rieger and his family immigrated to the United States from Austria-Hungary in 1877. By the early 1880s, Rieger owned and operated his own grocery store in Kansas City. In 1887, the same year that Holladay passed, Rieger opened his own distillery, J. Rieger & Co. in what is now the West Bottoms neighborhood. Around this time, Kansas City was already widely known as a den of sin and vice but given the West Bottoms’ proximity to Kansas, who had outlawed alcohol in 1881, the area’s ability to attract customers from both states to its salons, bars, and liquor stores gave the neighborhood a reputation of being the “Wettest Block in the World”. J. Rieger & Co. was a major beneficiary of that reputation and the level of alcohol consumption in the neighborhood.
When the West Bottoms lost the train depot, Alexander Rieger built a hotel near the new depot - Union Station.
Shortly after the founding of his distillery, Ben Holladay had shifted ownership and operation of his distillery to an immediate family member, his brother David. Similarly, around the beginning of the 20th Century, Rieger handed the reigns to his son Alexander. Alexander Rieger recognized the advantages of the distillery’s location beyond the daily patronage of Kansans and Missourians looking for a drink. The West Bottoms housed the city’s livestock exchange and Union Depot which made it the city’s hub for the railroads, which in turn made it the city center of transportation, post, and freight. With Alexander at the helm, Rieger began to offer their products by mail-order.
Alexander Rieger was a master of promotion! He was an early utilizer of unsolicited mail and would flood mailboxes across the nation with his elaborate, decorative advertisements that included a price sheet for his products. To keep customers coming back, he had the idea to included promotional gifts and branded items with subscribers’ orders. He came up with the moniker of “O! So Good!” to describe Rieger’s products. By the 1910s, J. Rieger & Co. was considered the largest mail-order whiskey distillery in the United States with a subscriber base of over a quarter of a million people!
During that same decade, flooding in the neighborhood caused the Union Depot to relocate to its current Union Station location. Undeterred, Rieger opened the Rieger Hotel a few blocks from the new train station as a budget hotel and saloon where he could continue to expose travelers, most notably traveling businessmen and salesmen, to his product. However, in 1919, when Congress passed the Volstead Act (the 18th Amendment to the Constitution) which prohibited the sale and consumption of alcohol, the exponential growth of J. Rieger & Co. was quickly halted. The Riegers’ distillery was forced to close their doors forever, at the end of 1919. Shortly after Prohibition began, the family also sold off the Rieger Hotel. It seemed that the Rieger Dynasty had ended as quickly as it began.
The Honest Tradesman
During Prohibition, the Holladay Distillery operated legally, creating spirits for “medicinal purposes”. IMAGE COURTESY OF: Holladay Distillery
While the onset of Prohibition led to the demise of J. Rieger & Co., and several other purveyors of liquor, Holladay’s distillery soldiered on. Having been sold to George H. Shawhan by the Holladay family in 1900, the Blue Springs Distillery was operating under the name of The Shawhan Distillery Company. While the production of distribution of alcohol was illegal in the United States, there were exceptions to the rule, the primary one being “medicinal purposes”. Not only did hospitals need alcohol and utilize it as a disinfectant and anesthetic for surgery, but during this era, doctors actually wrote prescriptions for alcohol! As bizarre as it may sound, whiskey, brandy, and rum were used to treat everything from cancer to diabetes to indigestion to depression. Of course, with the right doctor and the right amount of money, a number of people were prescribed a pint for “medicinal purposes” (Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge.) By partnering with one of the six companies bonded by the federal government to distill liquor for “medicinal purposes”, The Shawhan Company continued to legally produce whiskey during Prohibition.
When the 21st Amendment was passed in 1933 and Prohibition was repealed, the Holladay family’s former distillery continued as they always had, making whiskeys and bourbons for public consumption on their original site. However, later in the 20th century, the company shifted that focus and went away from the spirit that inspired their founding. Consumer tastes had drifted away from bourbons and in-bond spirits to clear liquors As more of an emphasis was placed on vodkas and non-bourbon whiskeys, the historic distillery founded by the Holladay family crafted their final batch of bourbon in 1987.
With J. Rieger & Co. long gone, and the distillery in Weston responding to a changing consumer base, it seemed that Missouri bourbons, at least in the Kansas City region, were gone forever.
Distiller in the City
“Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”
Many institutions, like Holladay Distillery, have been built that were made to stand the test of time. Many others, most others, almost all others, were not and they eventually fade away into obscurity. But every now and then, on rare occasion, an institution or a brand just lays dormant. Perhaps they were just way ahead of their time or the climate was not right for them to continue on at that time. Perhaps, the brand or the product just needed to take a long break and get some sleep. Every once in a great while, a great product and a great brand that was gone way too soon, gets a second chance. A visionary picks up a chunk of amber, sees within it the DNA of greatness, and breathes new life into something once thought to be extinct.
While after J. Rieger & Co. closed their doors, the original distillery was razed and paved over, a piece of the Rieger family lived on in their old hotel building at 1924 Main Street. In 2009, local bartender Ryan Maybee opened a small subterranean craft-cocktail speakeasy that seated fewer than 50 people under the old Rieger Hotel building, Manifesto. As a tenant in the building, Maybee became fascinated with the building’s history. So when the main level of the building became available for lease a year after opening Manifesto, Maybee opened the Rieger Hotel Grill & Exchange on the ground level of the historic building. On that first night the restaurant was opened, Andy Rieger, the great-great-great-grandson of Jacob Rieger, traveled to Kansas City to personally thank Maybee for honoring his family’s name and helping to preserve that history. It was during this first casual meeting, barely knowing one another, that Maybee first recommended to Rieger resurrecting the distillery that bore his name.
Over the next few years, with Maybee in Kansas City and Rieger in Dallas, Texas, the pair purchased the original J. Rieger & Co. trademark and looked to the distillery’s original brand, slogans, and bottles for inspiration. After purchasing a building in the East Bottoms neighborhood, and with the help of accomplished distiller Dave Pickerell, the J. Rieger & Co. distillery re-opened its doors with the launch of Rieger’s Kansas City Whiskey in 2014. In the coming years, a wheat vodka and a London-style dry gin were added to the mix to create a hat trick of liquors which would set the foundation not only for the revival of the House of Rieger, but for the distillery scene as a whole in the city of Kansas City, Missouri.
The rebirth of J. Rieger & Co. saw it move from the West Bottoms to the East Bottoms, wholly maintaining its riverfront roots and “O! So Good!” brand.
Distiller in the Country
While Rieger laid dormant, the historic distillery in Weston continuously produced spirits under a variety of names and ownership groups. The Blue Springs Distillery was known as Barton & Holladay when they sold to Shawhan in 1900. Shortly after Prohibition, The Shawhan Distillery Company was sold again, this time to Isadore Singer, and became Old Weston Distillery. In 1942, Singer purchased the McCormick brand name from a neighboring distillery and renamed his distillery the McCormick Distilling Company, which it continued as for nearly 75 years.
The distillery would change hands two more times, once in 1950 and again in 1993. Under the McCormick name, the distillery rose to national prominence in the 1960s and 70s due to holding the exclusive rights to produce Elvis Presley whiskey decanters. This paved the way for McCormick to have one of the top-selling American-made vodkas in the world. However, as the current ownership shifted the focus of the distillery, once again, to a more premium array of products in the 2010s, there became a desire for the company to get back to their roots. Over the past 15 years, craft cocktails, and especially bourbon, found new life nationwide. Recognizing both their history and consumer needs, the distillery re-branded one last time to Holladay Distillery, in 2016.
However, if the current generation of Weston distillers hoped to properly pay homage to the Stagecoach King and the Holladay family, they were going to need much more than just a name.
Two Promises
As Holladay Distillery moved forward into a new era, and J. Rieger & Co. found new life, a pair of promises was made. Or rather, a single promise was made by these two distillers that would dictate the future of distilling liquor in Kansas City. At nearly the same time, both made a promise to take a momentous step forward by looking back and returning to the spirit where their origins lay.
Rieger Co-Founder Andy Rieger recently explained, “We always wanted to make great bourbons that Kansas City could be proud of.” That intention was clear from the onset. It did not take long after the revival of the J. Rieger brand for the West Bottoms’ whiskey makers to start producing America’s native spirit. Distilled in a 750-gallon copper pot still, before being poured into charred white American oak barrels, J. Rieger & Co. began putting aside a few barrels of bourbon each month within the first year of being open. Today, that number is well over 100 per month. While it did not take long to get production rolling, aging their signature bourbon was another story. “This is the first bourbon that we have produced since before Prohibition, and we knew it needed to be something special,” Rieger Co-Founder Ryan Maybee added.
“This will always be a very special batch [of bourbon] that marks an important and specific time in our history.”
Around this same time, 35 miles to the north, Holladay Distillery was seeing incredible success from their premium line of domestic and imported products alike but the ownership group long-dreamed of reviving bourbon production in Weston. As Ben Holladay had once realized, the limestone springs and climate of Weston made it a rare place outside of the Bluegrass State perfect for distillation. The presence of a a few seven-story rickhouses (a structure implemental in the storage and aging of distilled spirits) on the property didn’t hurt matters either. Holladay Distillery recognized more than a missed opportunity, they saw an obligation to make bourbon in Missouri. The company brought in Kyle Merklein as Master Distiller, who was given Ben Holladay’s original mash bill from 1856 and charged with creating a bourbon worthy of the company’s legacy. “We definitely wanted to try to recreate that historic bourbon,” Merklein has said. Citing a “dwindling reserve” on-hand of the distillery’s last bourbon release, more than 30 years ago, Merklein explained that, “the goal has always been to hit that target profile and recreate the bourbon as close as we possibly could.” In April, 2016, utilizing a two-grain cooker system, the first run of Merklein’s take on the Holladay recipe was barreled.
Since that time, both J. Rieger & Co. and Holladay Distillery have continued to produce their signature bourbon, but until recently, it had not been made available to the public. Holladay originally foresaw an aging period of four years for their spirit but as a Holladay representative recently told me, “We didn’t feel like it was right. We wanted it to be perfect and just wasn’t there yet [at the four year mark].” While Maybee did not provide a similar forecast, he did express the same sentiment. He seemed to indicate that there was always a feeling that Rieger’s bourbon would be ready when it was ready, knowing that a great bourbon would arrive “in due time”.
As fate would have it, these two no-chill filtered spirits from two distilleries, created in the same season and in the same region, would also be bottled at long last, less than two weeks apart.
Once believed to be lost forever, thanks to the relentlessness of Ryan Maybee and Andy Rieger, J. Rieger & Co. is alive and well in 2022.
Six Years Later
“I was able to buy a bottle for you, Venmo me!”
While others messaged me on May 21 to wish me a happy birthday, this text from my sister-in-law was the best one I could have hoped to receive on that day. As someone who loves bourbon and relishes the opportunity to support local, I had looked forward to the release of Holladay’s take on the spirit since they first barreled it years ago. Beyond being a locally produced, in-bond bourbon, the Ben Holladay Missouri Straight Bourbon has the distinction of being designated as a “Real Missouri Bourbon”. Much like the terms “bourbon” and “bottled-in-bond”, the geographic label indicates yet another series of hurdles that Holladay’s spirit had to clear.
“This bill requires products labeled ‘Missouri Bourbon’ or ‘Missouri Bourbon Whiskey’ to be mashed, fermented, distilled, aged in oak barrels manufactured in Missouri, and bottled in Missouri.
Also, beginning January 1, 2020, all corn used in the mash must be grown in Missouri.”
Most interesting in House Bill 266 is the unique qualifier that the white oak barrels must be comprised of Missouri white oak trees and manufactured in the state. While it makes sense given the abundance of white oak trees and barrels produced in Missouri, no other whiskey in the world bears a requirement that they must use barrels sourced from a specified place or region. Holladay’s decision to not only celebrate their own history with Ben Holladay’s original mash bill, but to then highlight the region by committing to make a Missouri Bourbon was a very deliberate decision. Such an emphasis on quality and a utilization of local resources cannot be overlooked. So for me, especially given a delay in glass shipment that had allowed Holladay to only make an approximate 750 bottles available on the day of release, I was ecstatic to get a bottle from the first run!
“We always wanted to make great bourbons that Kansas City could be proud of. This is all very special to us.”
And then on June 1, I found myself sending a similar text message to a friend from the J. Rieger & Co. distillery when I was able to pick up two bottles of their initial run of bottled-in-bond bourbon. “They let me buy an extra bottle, Venmo me!” Now, while Rieger’s bourbon does not have the same distinction of being a “Missouri Bourbon”, it is a Kansas City bourbon in the truest sense of the words. For, it is the first bourbon distilled and bottled in Kansas City, Missouri since before Prohibition.
On their own merit, each of these locally crafted whiskeys on their own would be cause for celebration. But together, to have the return of in-bond bourbon with two batches from two distillers and both aged six years? This is truly a crucible moment for the city’s distilling community and whiskey aficionados alike. And for me, it became extra special to have an unopened bottle of each 100 proof spirit from the initial bottling in hand. There remained only one thing left to do - open them up!
Up the hill from the historic limestone springs, lies Warehouse C, the massive, federally bonded, 7-story rickhouse where Holladay aged their Ben Holladay Missouri Straight Bourbon.
An Opinion
As I approached Holladay’s and Rieger’s bourbons, I did so with a healthy respect for each. Everything in my gut screamed to me that a small batch, bonded bourbon, and especially one at a price point north of fifty dollars per bottle, should never be mixed with anything beyond a bit of ice or a little water. So to say that my approach while respectful, bordered on snobbery, would not be too far off-base.
““When you spend 7 years, or in my case, 10 years going all the way back to Manifesto, and you put your heart into something, you hope it turns out this well.””
What I quickly realized as I played with each of these spirits however, is that there is a clear argument for the inverse of my approach. It could easily be argued that due to the high proof and bold flavors that come from an in-bond bourbon, that classic cocktails like an old-fashioned, sidecar, or Manhattan are the ideal way to enjoy them.
It should come as no surprise that with the release of each, the respective Master Distillers at Rieger and Holladay each unveiled their own trio of cocktails that they believed best highlighted their spirit. For Rieger it was the June Bug (Bourbon, Peach, Sicilian Amaro, & Soda), Whiskey Smash (Bourbon, Mint, Lemon, & Sugar), and Boulevardier (Bourbon, Vermouth, Apertif Wine, & Orange). On the other hand, Holladay offers theirs in the 1856 Old Fashioned (Bourbon, Holladay Gomme, Orange Bitters, & Aromatic Bitters), Historical Register Manhattan (Bourbon, Sweet Vermouth, & Aromatic Bitters), and Holladay Bourbon Smash (Bourbon, Honey-Cinnamon Syrup, Lemon, & Mint). As one Holladay representative told me, “We want you to enjoy our bourbon the way that you’re going to enjoy it.”
Having sampled both, I cannot help but agree. Now I am not encouraging anyone to drown either of these exceptional spirits in a glass of coke (although if you do, I am certain that either bourbon will find a way to shine through), but I have definitely backed off my “straight or nothing” stance. Tasting the way that these bourbons really shine in artisan cocktails not only changed my approach to these bourbons. It may very well change my approach to cocktails and inspire me to seek out more in-bond and higher proof varieties for my cocktail needs. Regardless of my own tastes, each distiller offers a trio of signature cocktails that they feel best highlights their bourbon. Who am I to argue with Nathan Perry (Master Distiller, Rieger) or Kyle Merklein about what is appropriate for the bourbons they created?
Ben Holladay Missouri Straight Bourbon
When it comes to cocktails, the Ben Holladay features exceptionally well in their take on the Old Fashioned.
DISTILLED BY: Holladay Distillery - Weston, Missouri
PRODUCT TYPE: Missouri Bourbon, Bottled-In-Bond
MASH BILL: 73% Corn / 15% Rye / 12% Malted Barley
AGED: Six (6) Years
PROOF: 100 (50% ABV)
FORMAT: 750 mL Glass Bottle
RELEASE DATE: May 21, 2022 (Spring Season)
AVAILABILITY: Limited, Available at Select Regional Retailers and Holladay Distillery
RETAIL: $60 + Tax
So, Tell Me About This Bourbon… While a number of the factors that make Holladay’s bourbon so distinctive (being bottled-in-bond, being a “Missouri Bourbon”, the use of on-site limestone springs) have been discussed, we have barely touched on the aging process. Holladay’s campus possesses massive rickhouses that in the truest of bourbon tradition, are not climate-controlled. One of the major conditions that Ben Holladay first recognized in Weston for distilling bourbon was the presence of an ideal climate. In other words, sweltering hot summers, that evaporate the spirit and force it into the wood, and freezing cold winters, that draw the same whiskey back out of the wood and bring the natural flavors of the barrel along with it. The lack of climate-control in the seven-story Warehouse C where this was aged, means there are varying temperatures and humidity levels from floor-to-floor. For this initial batch, approximately 80% was batched from the fifth floor and then blended with the remainder which came from the first floor. Given the unique blending process, Ben Holladay’s bottles are actually stamped with the warehouse they came from and the percentage of bourbon taken from each floor. This will continue to be true of all future runs as well, as they begin to pull bourbons from floors beyond the first and fifth. This also promises to create slight differences from batch to batch.
In terms of taste, the first thing that I felt when I took my first sip of Holladay’s bourbon (neat) was warmth. If I am standing out in a 20° parking lot at Arrowhead Stadium in November, this is the exact tailgating companion I want. The speed at which this bourbon goes from the lips straight to your chest and warms up your entire body; I’ve never had anything quite like that. I guess that’s what you get with a 100 proof bourbon. It is remarkably aromatic and opens all your passages right up. It leaves an ember trail that dances on your lips, straight down the tongue and throat, and throughout your chest as it spreads the coziest degree of warmth throughout your chest. The best comparison that I would have for this phenomenon is the feeling you get from a nice brandy or a fine port. Even then, the speed at which Holladay bourbon warms you up is uncanny!
“Individual taste is influenced by where you came from and past experiences. ... Try [Ben Holladay Bourbon] and let your palate tell the story.”
Once the bourbon has rocketed straight into your heart, that’s when the flavors decide to make themselves known. There are a number of sensations to register here as it simultaneously dances on the lips, warms the chest, and the flavors arrive to tightly envelop the tongue. There’s a sharpness that undoubtedly comes from the Wisconsin rye in the mash. The first thing that I really tasted was a barrage of black pepper before vanilla came swirling in. The char level of three (on a scale of one to four) definitely subdues some of the fruity tones and sweet flavors in the wood but that doesn’t stop a cherry-like taste from peeking in at well-timed intervals. There are also definite notes of cigar smoke, caramel, and just a touch of cloves. Overwhelmingly though, there are two dominant flavors. The first is reminiscent of a hearty scoop of grits. The second and prevailing characteristic is a robust, woody taste that ties all this together. Now, while I understand that bourbon is aged in oak barrels, I would actually describe this second, strong taste as hickory. There is something very rustic about this spirit and that profile is even present in the bottle. From the straightforward metal cap, the off-white label, the branding that pays homage to the “Stagecoach King”, the feel of an antique ‘WANTED’ poster, and even the antiquated feel of the bottle, transport me back to another era. I imagine that Merklein accomplished his goal as I sincerely believe his bourbon is a more refined version of what was once served in a Wild West saloon. There’s something about it that feels so old and so familiar.
The different variables present on each floor of the rickhouse play a role in the overall profile. For their initial run, the bottles were approximately 80% taken from the fifth floor and blended with the other 20% which came from the ground floor.
When I did introduce ice (or water) to the bourbon, it smoothed out those rough edges and the sweetness really came to the forefront. The addition of water invites caramel notes that were once quiet to roar to life. And for good measure, they bring a tinge of molasses into the mix. The introduction of sweetness and fruity flavors also brings a completely new sensation into the mix - bitterness. While it does not replicate the taste, it seems to mimic the phenomenon of a grapefruit in the transition from bitter to fruity. The bitterness is very slight, it teases you. It is only there to allow you to value the vanilla, caramel, cherry, and molasses all the more. Like the eye of a turbulent storm, the sweetness awaits in the calm center. The harmonious blend of rough and delicate makes the Ben Holladay Missouri Bourbon a refreshing balance of new and old that this state should be proud to have its name on.
What Does It Compare To? Evan Williams Single Barrel OR Woodford Reserve
On The Rocks or Neat? If I have to choose one, it is definitely on the rocks.
Not only does Holladay’s bourbon play very well in cooler temperatures but the ice opens up a very pleasing, velevety element in the spirit. The ice also dramatically slows down the rate at which the bourbon zips from the tip of your tongue and down your throat, better allowing the drinker to enjoy and experience the intricacies of this bourbon before being distracted by its cozy warmness.
Best Signature Distillery Cocktail Featuring This Bourbon? The 1856 Old Fashioned.
The cocktail highlights this whiskey’s woody flavor but the orange peel and mix of bitters help to amplify a subtle citrusy element in the bourbon that otherwise takes a distant backseat to more dominant flavors.
I Am Dying To Try This Bourbon In A … Boulevardier.
I love what the sweet vermouth brings to light in the Manhattan. I enjoyed how the use of cinnamon in the Bourbon Smash played with the bourbon’s flavor and toyed with that fleeting bitterness. I adore what the orange peel does for its fruity notes in the Old Fashioned. I am convinced that Campari might just be the ideal playmate for Ben Holladay’s whiskey.
Rieger’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Of J. Rieger’s featured cocktails built on their in-bond bourbon, the summery Whiskey Smash is the clear and obvious choice.
DISTILLED BY: J. Rieger & Co. - East Bottoms, Kansas City, Missouri
PRODUCT TYPE: Straight Bourbon, Bottled-In-Bond
MASH BILL: 56% Corn / 30% Rye / 14% Malted Barley
AGED: Six (6) Years
PROOF: 100 (50% ABV)
FORMAT: 750 mL Glass Bottle
RELEASE DATE: June 2, 2022 (Spring Season)
AVAILABILITY: Limited, Available at Select Retailers in Missouri and Kansas, and J. Rieger & Co.
RETAIL: $60 + Tax
So, Tell Me About This Bourbon… For J. Rieger & Co., this bourbon is not their first foray into a bottled-in-bond whiskey. In fact, the distillery released an in-bond rye just last fall. Both that rye and bourbon were aged in Rieger’s rickhouse which is an expansive, single-level facility that is not climate-controlled. Despite Rieger and Holladay being only 35 miles apart, the nature of the facilities and the lands on which they sit means that Rieger’s bourbon, being aged in Missouri River bottomland in a single-story warehouse, was exposed to drastically different conditions to those in the multi-story rickhouses on the rolling hills of Weston.
In regard to the bourbon itself, Rieger co-founder Ryan Maybee described it best when he told me, “Since this is a bottled-in-bond bourbon, it is truly one-of-a-kind. We will never have this exact bourbon again but we will continue to have new ones every year.” It almost seems ironic that such a fleeting spirit with limited availability has a number of flavors that are anything but! The first thing that I noticed on my first pour (neat) was the fragrance. There is such a sweet, fruity perfume wafting off the pour. And then comes the first sip and all of a sudden, a dormant tongue is awakened. There is so much going on, it’s so effervescent! This truly has a full-tongue flavor as it hits every single taste bud simultaneously and in the most pleasing way.
The disproportionate amount of rye used in the mash gives it a zip and a spiciness that immediately attacks the tip of the tongue. (If you actually hold it there long enough, the front of your tongue will go numb from the spice!) Then it comes with a transient sweetness that dries out almost immediately. But, do not be discouraged. Rieger’s bourbon is just messing with you.
The prodigal sweetness returns to much fanfare at the exact moment you begin to miss it. And in that moment, there is a rich burst of marzipan. As the sweetness lingers, you may begin to taste notes of fig, plum, toffee, and even a touch of nutmeg, but then it almost reminds one of cotton candy. Meanwhile, the almost curry-like (not in flavor but sensation) spice continues to dart around the tongue until it settle in a ring at the back of your throat providing a consistent, yet soothing, burn.
Those flames are quickly extinguished by water. The addition of ice to the spirit evicts the spice so quickly that you begin to question whether or not it had actually been there. It opens up the bourbon and turns it into something entirely new. Or perhaps, it washes away the initial layers to show us what this bourbon is at its heart. The bourbon becomes more butter and creamy. There is a richness that begins to show itself as what was once marzipan drifts closer to mocha. For a brief moment, the flavor is not too different from that of a pint of Guinness. And it is in that moment that you are reminded of the heaviness of the 14% malted barley in the mash bill. With the rye virtually evacuated, cocoa, coffee, and even salted caramel come to the forefront, while the fruity notes move to the edges of the tongue and patiently wait their turn. There is such a medley of flavors present within this bottle. Rieger’s bottled-in-bond bourbon really is sugar and spice and everything o! so nice. And for that, Nathan Perry and the good people at Rieger must be commended.
What Does It Compare To? Larceny OR Four Roses Small Batch
“It’s a surreal moment. To work so hard for something that you don’t know how it’s going to turn out and to wait so long, then it just works out so beautifully, and then you get to share it with people?! It’s just surreal.”
On The Rocks or Neat? Of these two options, the answer is Neat.
However, neither may be the best way to go. Neat allows the drinker to experience the full brunt of Rieger’s flavor spectrum but slowly the spice of the rye overtakes it all. By contrast, ice reveals a slight tartness and softens it in such a way that it really brings the dessert flavors to the forefront but it completely eliminates the exquisite spice of the bourbon. It renders the front half of the tongue useless. and creaminess to the forefront. The best compromise it seems is to serve it neat with a small splash of water to truly allow this bourbon to flourish.
Best Signature Distillery Cocktail? The Whiskey Smash.
Rieger’s take on the timeless summer cocktail captures the best elements of a whiskey sour and a julep. The lemony-twist opens up the citrus notes and subtle tartness of the bourbon while the sprig of mint plays right into the creaminess of the bourbon. It also contrasts the spice of the rye in the best way, almost like a habanero jam. Rieger’s smash is a conflicting collection of flavors, harmoniously balanced, to bring forth the best flavors of this bourbon.
I Am Dying To Try This Bourbon In An … Old Fashioned.
It feels like the default answer with any bourbon but truth be told, for my love of bourbon, I prefer my Old Fashioneds to be made with rye instead. And that’s exactly why this must be tried! The exceedingly high rye content and the zip it creates has me believing this could be the best of both worlds - bourbon and rye in one glass! Given every taste profile that Rieger’s bourbon already hits on, I am also most anxious to see what flavors get revealed in a smoked version of the cocktail.
When I first had the idea to tell this tale and began asking these questions, a few friends remarked that the story I wanted to tell was unusual. I was told it did not make sense to feature these two rivals, side-by-side, and force these bourbons to share the spotlight. And perhaps, they are right. These two great houses, alike in dignity, are definitely rivals, but, there is also a kinship there. Like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, or Niki Lauda and James Hunt, the presence of the other is what pushes them both to do such great things. They are competitors; competitors who also have a healthy respect for the other.
Holladay and Rieger, both of them historic distilleries that could not be more different in their origin. Holladay and Rieger, both of them with their own distinctions and priorities that set them apart in the marketplace. Holladay and Rieger, both of them with a bright future where they will continue to chart their own courses. But for now, here, in this moment, they have managed to arrive at the exact same place at the exact same time, in entirely different ways. They may have taken different roads and cleared different hurdles but in the Spring of 2016, both made the decision to return to their bourbon roots. And these six-year aged, bottled-in-bond, bourbons with a mash bill of corn, rye, and malted barley waited, almost knowingly, exactly two years past the in-bond minimum to burst on to the scene here in Kansas City. And at the end of the day, that is exactly who wins in this rivalry between Holladay and Rieger - Kansas City.
The timing of it all feels too much like providence to be deemed as coincidence. And as someone who loves bourbon, and loves Kansas City even more, that is why this story had to be told.
I remember the first time that I was truly exposed to the notion of bourbon as a distinct type of whiskey and not just a synonym for it. It was 2009 and I was in New Orleans at a hotel bar, sipping on some Maker’s Mark, as a hot-shot from the heart of Bourbon Country who I had met just two days prior explained to me that the primary difference between whiskey and bourbon is that, “If it doesn’t come from Kentucky, it ain’t bourbon. Bourbon’s just better.” What I did not know at the time is how wrong he was.
Well, he wasn’t entirely wrong. I mean, bourbon is better. But, like many, he was indeed wrong about the bluegrass qualifier. I don’t blame him for believing this lie. It’s a common misnomer. It is only natural to want to be proud of the place you call home, so I understand how he could be so indoctrinated. But, never, not once, in any rule or standard that exists governing America’s native spirit, is the Commonwealth of Kentucky ever mentioned. Not one single time. In fact, there is at least one bourbon produced in the vast majority of U.S. states, because more than being a Kentuckian whiskey, bourbon is an American one.
Yet, I will not deny that, for reasons previously laid out, that 95% of the world’s bourbon is produced in Kentucky. It is the Bourbon Capital of the World. That cannot be debated. And yet, in my possession I have two bottles of in-bond bourbon, from competing local distilleries, that are the other five percent. And that in itself is a win for Kansas City. It is in fact a win for the State of Missouri who has become recently intent on creating the designation of “Missouri Bourbon”. When that legislation passed, this moment had to be the goal, or at least the beginning that leads to the goal.
Only five percent of bourbons are made outside of Kentucky and even fewer are bottled-in-bond. Now, there are those in the whiskey community who consider “in-bond” to be an archaic and outdated designation that is best left in a time when dishonest people would add coloring to moonshine or try to pass off more harmful liquids like gasoline, turpentine, and tobacco spit as bourbon. Yet, in this day and age, it is still a clear indicator of a liquor’s quality. Even more, it is a testament to the skill of the distiller. The ability that a whiskey maker must posses to even bottle a bourbon in-bond is not common by any means. And when I realize that I possess two bottles, from competing local distilleries, that bear this designation, I know who wins the rivalry that may exist between Holladay and Rieger - Kansas City.
Not all whiskey is bourbon. Not all bourbon is bottled-in-bond. But, these two bourbons are. Most bourbon is made in Kentucky. But these two bourbons are most definitely not.
Beyond being among the five percent or even the one percent, these bourbons are in a rare percentile all their own! Despite not being batched in the “ideal conditions” and “distillery-friendly” confines of Kentucky, these are an exceptional pair of bourbons. This tale of two whiskeys is really a tale of two cities and a story that marries the earliest days of the Town of Weston and the Town of Kansas to the present time. This may not be bourbon country but here in Kansas City, we can be satisfied with a couple of bourbon blocks, especially when the likes of Rieger and Holladay have taken up residence on said blocks.
When we were having a conversation about J. Rieger & Co.’s bourbon, Ryan Maybee explained to me that, “We put our hearts into it. We did it the right way, we didn’t cut corners, we were patient, and when you do all that, you’re going to get something that’s really great.” And that’s exactly what Rieger got, and for that matter Holladay too, something that’s really great. They got something that is a credit to KC. If there’s anything that Kansas Citians know all too well it’s that it does not matter where you come from but it just matters how you go about your business. The commitment of Rieger and Holladay to doing things the right way is evident down to the last drop of their respective in-bond bourbons.
So, for us, to have such an excellent pair of distilleries here in the metro, who can beautifully and artfully craft bourbons like these, that our city can call our very own? It is just so special. Where were you when in-bond bourbon returned to Kansas City after a century-long hiatus? Remember this moment because for lack of a better word, this truly is a special time in Kansas City.
After all, it’s the Age of Bourbon, an Epoch of In-Bond Booze, ushered in by Holladay Distillery and J. Rieger & Co., who have done a far better thing for our city than they could ever know. But as we rush to drink a far better local spirit than we have ever known, hopefully, Kansas City has a slight idea.
The 411
Holladay Distillery
1 McCormick Lane
Weston, Missouri
HOURS: Tuesday through Thursday, 11:00am - 4:00pm; Friday & Saturday, 11:00am - 6:00pm
www.holladaydistillery.com
J. Rieger & Co.
2700 Guinotte Avenue
Kansas City, Missouri
HOURS: Sunday, 11:00am - 8:00pm; Monday & Tuesday, 11:00am - 6:00pm; Wednesday & Thursday, 11:00am - 10:00pm; Friday & Saturday, 11:00am - 12:00am
www.jriegerco.com
So, What Do I Get? It’s like you don’t even read the article. C’mon man! Get a bottle of each distiller’s initial run of in-bond bourbon while you still can! And while you’re at it, might as well locally stock that liquor cabinet.
Have you tried either or both of these in-bond bourbons yet? What did you think? Any other favorite liquors from these local distilleries? Tell me about it in the comments!
