LeeEvolved
Basil Hayden Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed
January 22, 2017 (edited January 27, 2017)
I recently found a bottle of this in my local liquor store on sale for $34 and figured I'd give it a go- more for using it as a mixer as I've really been enjoying quite a few bourbon & cokes lately, instead of popping new scotch bottles. This is part of the Beam Suntory groups premium rye whiskey lineup, comes in at the standard 80 proof and features a fancy, old style paper label.
So, naturally, I poured myself a normal shot to give it a review neat, while also mixing a B&C as a before dinner aperitif. Shall we let the neat rest a few minutes and see how well it plays along with Coca Cola? First, I didn't really notice any rye spice notes in the highball glass, which surprised me as this is supposed to contain double the amount of rye as your typical Jim Beam bourbon. There was, however, significantly more bite out of the cocktail itself and that was a bit off-putting to me. I guess I shouldn't say it was bad, it just wasn't what I like in my normal B&C's.
Onto the neat pour, I got a decent amount of rye, oak and citrus on the nose as well as the first sip. It played out a bit spicier than I expected, even knowing the double rye content, and that left me gasping as the heat overpowered everything else. I'm beginning to appreciate rye whiskey more and more these days, but something about this one was harsh and bitter. The finish was a bit longer than I would've liked, too, and I found myself rinsing it away with said bourbon & Coke.
Overall, I doubt I'd buy another bottle of this-even for cocktails and I think I'd rather just move back to regular Beam or my new favorite mixer, Evan Williams Single Barrel. Your mileage may vary, though, and I encourage everyone to find out for yourself whether this one makes your personal grade. Cheers, my friends.
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