Distillery: James B. Beam Distilling Company
Region: Frankfurt, Kentucky
Aging: 10 Years
ABV: 40%
Proof: 80
Price: $70
Appearance: Light Amber
Nose: Lots of caramel and vanilla. Oak paired with a bit of spice and a bit of grassy notes.
Palate: A very nice balance between the sweetness of caramel and vanilla blended with spices and some rye notes.
Finish: A very nice finish with a bit of sweet fruit flavors on the tail end. The mouthfeel is quite nice and leaves you with a refreshing fruity but also spicy finish.
Is Basil Hayden 10 Year Approachable?
Basil Hayden 10 Year is quite approachable. It’s more complex than the standard Basil Hayden and has much nicer flavors. It’s easy to drink, but it does have more heat on the finish than all the other bottles in the Basil Hayden lineup.
Is Basil Hayden 10 Year Complex?
Aging 10 years definitely adds to the complexity of this Basil Hayden bottle. While it still has the core flavors of caramel and vanilla we would expect from Basil Hayden, the additional time in the barrel is very apparent. I’m not exactly sure why this bottle has much more of a high-rye mash bill than the standard Basil Hayden, but the spicy and grassy notes definitely add to the complexity.
What are Basil Hayden 10 Year’s strongest attributes/flavors?
Basil Hayden 10 Year’s strongest flavors are definitely the rye spices blended with the additional oak flavors from being aged for 10 years.
Is Basil Hayden 10 Year a go-to whiskey?
Basil Hayden 10 year isn’t particularly a go-to whiskey for me. It’s more of a special bottle that I would pour myself a glass of when I really want to appreciate the flavors added by aging a whiskey for 10 years.
Is Basil Hayden 10 Year priced accurately to its quality?
Basil Hayden 10 Year is priced at $70 versus the $45 price tag for the standard Basil Hayden.
Between these two bottles, the 10-Year wins easily.
I would definitely spend the money for the complexity of the 10 years of aging. The additional layer of complexity from the high rye mash bill is a big bonus for me as well.
If you’re a fan of Basil Hayden, I would recommend buying this one to compare and experience its superior quality over the standard edition. But if you’re an experienced whiskey drinker looking to get the most bang for your buck, I’d probably choose a bourbon like Four Roses Small Batch Select or Bib and Tucker.
I hope you enjoyed this tasting experience with me.
Feel free to enjoy our Complete Basil Hayden Line Up Comprehensive Review where we review every bottle from Basil Hayden and break down which bottles we enjoy most.
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