Basil Hayden Bourbon

The expert score has made me avoid this spirit due to its cost. I also recently sampled their rye and it wasn't to my liking. However, I now have a bottle, and a good friend highly recommends it, so let's try it. Nose: Savory for a bourbon. Leather, oak, and a hint of rye spice. Palate: Also spicy and savory, with strong wood notes. This is likely the least sweet bourbon I have tried, and it's a welcome change. Finish: Medium duration, dry, and warming. The wood is prominent here, and I experience a lasting cedar flavor reminiscent of a sauna. As a straight drink, it's good, but it lacks some depth. Perhaps the low alcohol content is a factor. It does, however, make an excellent old fashioned. Would I purchase another bottle at $56? Unlikely, given the abundance of other solid choices at that price. I will enjoy making cocktails with this bottle, though.

Nose: sweet vanilla, caramel, milk, and a pinch of white pepper and cinnamon Palate: cocoa cherry, rich cream, baked oats with honey, a light, tea-like body but with a honeyed flavor Finish: rye spice, more vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom Value: C- the aroma hints at rye and sweetness, but both the nose and palate are missing depth; the palate is more like sweetened milk than anything else. The finish is definitely brief, once again a bit sweet with rye and baking spices. Beyond serving as an introduction to bolder ryes, this isn't quite worth the price.

An intense Straight Bourbon Whiskey from the Jim Beam Distillery in Kentucky, featuring a higher rye content and aged in American oak barrels. It begins intensely with spice, herbal, and tea notes; a complex development adds notes of white pepper, orange peel, lemon, corn, cinnamon, rye spice, and sweet caramel, leading to a dry and quick conclusion with notes of cinnamon pepperiness and light vanilla oakiness. September 2018 / January / September 2019 / July 2022

The aroma is gentle with a sweetness of vanilla and brown sugar. I detect some faint mint notes in the smell too. On the palate, it's not particularly impressive to me. The mouthfeel is a bit thin, and it doesn't seem to have much substance. There's a slight bite, a peppery taste at the start, but then it fades and leaves me wanting more. I wish it had more boldness.

Pleasant rye on the nose, I notice hints of banana, perhaps banana bread? The rye taste follows through, with oak and vanilla. The finish is brief, oaky, and has a spiciness suitable for its low proof. A respectable drink, a good starting point for bolder rye profiles, and budget-friendly. I'll keep a bottle on hand for 8 out of 12 months.

The classic bourbon vanilla and brown sugar to start. A little spice also with a slight woody side. The alcohol is well present and it stays warm throughout the sip. Nothing too extraordinary either but it remains an excellent classic style bourbon that does the job.