Basil Hayden's Rye (Discontinued)

[11.16.2019] Went to the local Liquor Barn in Louisville last week in lieu of a distillery tour. We were down for NAILE and couldn't peel away from the charming Cottswalds and Southdowns for longer than a booze run. Luckily Basil's was running a tasting that afternoon. And boy, what a crowd that place can draw on a Saturday afternoon! This whiskey has everything I like about the Basil with all the bonuses of Rye. Wouldn't own the original but I would've bought a bottle of this if it weren't for the line at the register. Peppery without a harsh spicy bite, this is more like the pumpernickel version of rye and less like the white dog stuff I can buy at home. The extra time in oak barrels gives this a raw oak, woody, tannin flavor that adds complexity to what most other places would just run out as a decent rye whiskey.

Yum! Smooth, spicy yet balanced.