Basil Hayden Toast

This new Basil Hayden’s line seems to be a replacement for those experimental whiskies that were blended with wine and rum. Those were pretty awful, so I welcome a more traditional approach to experimentation. Even that has its limits in the world of whiskey, so let’s see if they’re getting it right with the toast-charred oak. Nose: Vanilla, brown sugar, toffee, and caramel. Sugar cookie. Apple and apricot. Big apricot. The smoke is present, but it’s more in the background. Cocoa. Foam hand soap. Ginger, rye spice, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak spice. Palate: Cocoa, sawdust, black tea, and pipe smoke. More apple and apricot, though it’s more like apple pie and dried apricot on the tongue. Apple cider and cereal grain. Vanilla (frosting,) toffee, caramel, and brown sugar. Mocha. Orange citrus. Toasted almond and walnut. Black pepper, ginger, clove, nutmeg, and oak spice. Finish: Apple and dried apricot. Cocoa, black tea, and pipe smoke. Caramel, toffee, vanilla, and brown sugar. Cinnamon Apple Jacks. Toasted almond and pistachio. Black pepper, ginger, clove, nutmeg, rye spice, and oak. Short-moderate. Upon reading up on this one, I’ve learned that rye was subbed out for brown rice in the mash bill. Interestingly, I still get trace rye spice at times, but the heavy-handed rye notes I generally get from Basil Hayden’s are absent. As for how this scores, I’ll use some points of reference to put it in perspective. I think the Basil Hayden 10 edges this. And this is definitely better than the standard BH. And all of three that I just mentioned are substantially better than those funky experiments that Jim Beam was trying under the BH banner. That in mind, I’m optimistic about the direction Jim Beam is taking Basil Hayden. This is a 3.25, though I’m going to dock it slightly for VFM at $50. Wouldn’t go above $40 for a 40% ABV NAS bourbon that, let’s face it, isn’t boasting any truly unique attribute. Toasted barrels? They’re a dime a dozen. The mash bill is interesting, and I’ll give them credit for that. 40% ABV is unacceptable if you’re trying to get into the good graces of a bourbon-head. Depth is important, and this is could be fantastic if it had more than the bare minimum. 3/5 as it is.

Nose: Although light, the nose is very pleasant. Baking spices with butter, light brown sugar, and a touch of cinnamon. Palate: Butterscotch, Bread, and a slight nuttiness (Almond - Maybe?). Simple, but pleasant. Finish: Heat ramps up upon swallowing, followed by notes of cinnamon and leather. A nice contrast from the relatively sweet nose and palate. Thoughts: Not something I’d turn my nose up at, but I find its simplicity keeps me from grabbing it off the shelf more than others.

Overall this is fine, nothing more nothing less. I do like it more than the normal BH, but honestly if it didn’t say “toasted” I wouldn’t have necessarily been able to pick that out. Smell is fairly sweet with fruity undertone. Pretty smooth even neat which isn’t surprising given the proof. A little ice doesn’t change the complexion a lot. Overall it’s fairly smooth and I get some apple/orange fruit flavor coming through, with some slight oak or nut coming through.

Oh Lord please don't burn us don't kill or toast your flock. Don't put us on the barbecue or simmer us in stock. Don't bake or baste or boil us or stir-fry us in a wok. It’s better than their “subtle smoke” whiskey, but still not great. But what you would expect since they use rice instead of corn in their mash, and i guess they try to hide it by toasting the barrels to give it a less harsh smoke flavor. Rice n smoke…mmmmm no.

I’m a huge fan of Basil Hayden, so i had to give this one a try! Nose: Hazelnut, Caramel, Palate: Oaky, Toffee, Candied Apple Finish: Cinnamon, Citrus, Overall: its quite enjoyable!! I dont enjoy it as mich as the red wine cask Basil Hayden, but its one i would consider picking up if on sale!

Its smooth, light, and subtle. Not a lot of heat and good sipper. Just nothing stands out. Nothing good or bad, maybe its the brown rice??? Mellow but anticlimactic, hooing for something a little deeper. Not complex bit good.