Basil Hayden - Toast Review - Secret Whiskey Society

Distillery: James B. Beam Distilling Company

Region: Frankfurt, Kentucky

Aging: It was originally aged 8 years, but in 2014, the age statement changed to “Artfully aged” which means that there is no guarantee on how long it has been aged.

ABV: 40%

Proof: 80

Price: $50

Appearance: Light Gold

Nose: Buttered Toast, caramel, and vanilla, with a bit of oak

Palate: Extremely light. I get flavors of sweet caramel, spicy pepper, and oak.

Finish: The finish is light and I’m left with a bit of spice and sweetness.

Is Basil Hayden Toast Approachable?

Basil Hayden Toast is very easy to drink. It’s light and smooth, but not particularly in a good way. It tastes almost watered down and lacks the flavors that I would normally looks for in my whiskey.

Is Basil Hayden Toast Complex?

Basil Hayden Toast is not complex at all. The flavors are extremely light and disappointing. If this whiskey were $5-10 cheaper than the base-level Basil Hayden, I could get behind the level of complexity a little more.

What are Basil Hayden Toast’s strongest attributes/flavors?

Basil Hayden Toast’s strongest attribute is its nose. I really enjoy smelling the whiskey and get a lot of butter, toasted notes, and sweet vanilla and caramel scents. Just unfortunately, I don’t get as many of those lovely flavors on the palate as I would like.

Is Basil Hayden Toast a go-to whiskey?

Basil Hayden Toast would be a go-to whiskey if you can find it at a cheap price. It drinks very smooth and has little to no burn, but it also doesn’t have any deep flavors.

Is Basil Hayden Toast priced accurately to its quality?

With Basil Hayden Toast costing $5 more than your ordinary Basil Hayden whiskey and the Basil Hayden Dark Rye, I would say that it is overpriced for its quality. I would recommend purchasing the Basil Hayden Dark Rye which drinks just as easily and has some excellent dark fruit and maple syrup flavors.

I would expect this bottle to cost $20-25 for me to be happy with it. They certainly have done a great job with marketing this one though, because the bottle looks extremely nice and I’m sure they’ve sold a good amount of this release.

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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Thanks for reading and cheers!


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