Basil Hayden Subtle Smoke (2022 Release)

Very little smoke, just a hint on the finish, like after smoking a cigar

Black and mild plus vanilla marshmallow nose. Hickory wood. Warm and sweet with a hint of charcoal and chewy wood. Butterscotch candy and very mellow smoke. Maybe maple syrup on top of the hickory smoke.

Smells like a hard candy and menthol cigarettes. Marshmallow and vanilla creme candy. Like a black and mild with vanilla tip. Mild and warm on the pallet. Not too heavy. Has a medium string swallow.

Nose of chared sutle smoked sweet meats and vanilla Palate of oak, rye spice and sweet maple Finish is medium in length with oak and lingering campfire with a hint of cinnamon Remarkable complexity for an 80 proof whiskey

BH SUBTLE SMOKE NOSE: The nose starts Good and with time becomes Great. Vanilla, Butterscotch, Circus Peanuts Candy, Rye Spice, Creme Brûlée, Apple, Pink Bubblegum, and Hickory Smoke that grows in intensity the longer it sits. TWTWIRBM makes a delicious Cast Iron Skillet Apple Pie that ends up all crust, canned apple and burnt brown sugar. That is what this becomes. NEAT: Mouthfeel is Light and Thin, but the flavors are there. Vanilla, Maple, Brown Sugar, Light Peanut Funk, and Cola. The Hickory Smoke is present throughout, but doesn't really assert itself until the backend and slightly drying finish. There is absolutely zero KYHug. This Old Granddad is smooth to a fault. Sweet Hickory Smoke and Mint coat and build on the palate the deeper into the pour you get. SPLASH: The Hickory Smoke is reduced, but the Palate gains a note of Caramel Covered Granny Smith Apple. VERDICT: The more time I spent with this one, the more I liked it. I love the Hickory Smoke influence, but I think that Peg Leg Porker may pull it off just a little better, but it is close. This one gets dinged a quarter point by the thin mouthfeel, but it's overall a solid, enjoyable bourbon.