Today, we will be tasting the entire lineup of Basil Hayden whiskeys. Our goal is to not only taste and review these whiskeys and break down their flavors, but to determine which of the bottles are worth their price tag.
We all know the feeling of buying a bottle, taking a few sips, and instantly wishing we spent our money on something else.
So today, we are going to help you determine whether you want to try the special offerings Basil Hayden has cleverly marketed in front of us.
So to begin, we will take a look at the standard bottle of Basil Hayden.
Basil Hayden – Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($45)
Here we have the classic Basil Hayden – Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
Notice the “Artfully Aged” instead of a proper age statement.
This is because Basil Hayden originally was aged in barrels for 8 years and back in 2014, they decided to remove the official age statement and replace it with the term “Artfully Aged”.
For those of your familiar with whiskey, this means that they don’t really need to age any of their whiskey more than 2 years to still be able to call it “straight bourbon whiskey”.
That’s a HUGE difference from being aged for 8 years!
But regardless, we are reviewing the bottles we have now and whether they’re aged 2 years or 10 years, we’re going to break down which are worth the money.
Basil Hayden’s basic bottle will cost you $45 at the time of this review and while it is a little pricey for the quality of the bottle, it does serve well as a “fancy” bourbon to take to a party.
People always notice the excellent presentation that Basil Hayden creates with their bottles.
At the $45 price point, you’re slightly overpaying for the quality of whiskey if you ask me, but sometimes it’s worth it.
It’s a nice bottle to have on your shelf and it’s a great whiskey to share with beginners who are looking to experience whiskey and not get a lot of burn or bold flavors.
Read our full Basil Hayden Kentucky Straight Bourbon Review.
Basil Hayden – Dark Rye ($45)
Basil Hayden Dark Rye costs the same amount as the standard bottle of Basil Hayden, but is remarkably different.
Basil Hayden Dark Rye comes at you with an extremely sweet nose and flavor loaded with dark maple syrup and dark fruits.
I found this bottle to be rather enjoyable. Its unique flavor profile lends itself to the drinker who enjoys extremely sweet flavors without feeling any heat from their whiskey.
I know, this sounds counter-intuitive to what we all love about whiskey, but it surprisingly works!
When I did my tasting of the complete Basil Hayden lineup, this glass was one that I ended up finishing first.
While I wouldn’t say it would be my normal go-to sipper, it was surprisingly easy to drink and had a level of sweet complexity that you won’t find in many whiskeys.
All-in-all I would recommend the Basil Hayden Dark Rye over the standard Basil Hayden for its uniqueness alone especially since they are the same price.
Read our full Basil Hayden Dark Rye Review.
Basil Hayden Toast ($50)
Basil Hayden Toast is a bottle that I saw marketed all over the place and was super hyped up upon its release.
I was very excited to get myself a bottle and when I got it home and tried it I thought it was okay.
However, when I tasted it alongside the entire Basil Hayden lineup, it came in dead last as the clear loser of the bunch.
While it had an amazing nose to it with lovely scents of caramel and buttered toast, its flavor was just bland. It was incredibly light and felt watered down and very lackluster.
Of all the bottles of Basil Hayden, this is the one bottle I would not recommend buying.
Read our full Basil Hayden Toast Review.
Basil Hayden Subtle Smoke ($50)
Basil Hayden Subtle Smoke reminds me of ordering a smoke stack at my local bar.
It’s got the typical Basil Hayden qualities like caramel and sweet vanilla but has the additional note of hickory charred barrels.
Since it’s only $5 more than the standard bottle of Basil Hayden, I definitely think that this bottle is worth the extra money if you’re considering it against the other Basil Hayden bottles.
However, when I’m looking for a smokey whiskey, I generally lean more toward the bold peated Scotches like Laphroaig, Ardbeg, or Bruichladdich Port Charlotte.
With that being said, sometimes you might just want a slight hint of smoke and don’t have the torch nearby to smoke your own whiskey which then Basil Hayden Subtle Smoke could be a great option!
Also, I do think that this bottle could be a nice touch to an old-fashioned if you’re looking for a nice hint of smoke without overpowering the sweetness of your cocktail.
Now whether that’s worth $50 for the bottle though, that’s up to you.
Read our full Basil Hayden Subtle Smoke Review.
Basil Hayden – Red Wine Cask Finish ($60)
Basil Hayden Red Wine Cask Finish is the second most expensive bottle of Basil Hayden tied with Basil Hayden Malted Rye and behind only the Basil Hayden 10 Year.
It cost $70 which is $15 higher than the standard Basil Hayden bottle.
With that being said, it’s an interesting whiskey to evaluate.
Since it’s finished in red wine barrels, you would expect it to have more dark fruit flavors and it definitely does. This adds a layer of complexity on top of the standard Basil Hayden for sure.
The thing that I enjoyed most about this bottle is that it did remind me of my love of wine.
Granted, this is a whiskey that just has a slight hint of wine to it, but I definitely noticed the dark fruit and earthy tones that I do enjoy when drinking a nice Cabernet.
So is it worth the extra $15?
If you’re an experienced wine and whiskey drinker, yes.
But it’s a bottle that you would likely only bring out when you have a nice steak dinner and your guests can appreciate the subtle flavors of this whiskey alongside their glass of wine.
For ordinary whiskey drinkers, it’s probably not worth the money. $75 is a lot of money for a bottle of whiskey and I would generally steer you toward a bottle of Oban or Balvenie for this price tag.
Read our full Basil Hayden Red Wine Cask Finish Review.
Basil Hayden Malted Rye ($60)
Basil Hayden Malted Rye is the newest product from Basil Hayden.
At the $60 price point, it brings a unique flavor profile to their lineup with their offering of 100% Malted Rye whiskey.
It offers a nice balance of malt, rye, sweet honey, and light fruits.
What’s most interesting about this bottle is that it offers a flavor profile on both the nose and palate that is unlike most other bottles out there.
I have reviewed a few malted rye whiskeys and this pour is one of my favorites in the category.
So is this one worth the extra money?
Yes, it is.
There aren’t many 100% Malted Rye whiskeys on the market so this is a nice addition to the Basil Hayden Lineup.
It’s nice to see them experimenting and bringing new products to their lineup, especially when they venture outside the norm and bring us a bottle that is completely unique and full of delicious flavors.
Read our full Basil Hayden Malted Rye Review.
Basil Hayden 10 Year ($70)
The top-tier offering by Basil Hayden is the 10 Year.
With a price tag of $70 it’s $25 more than the standard bottle of Basil Hayden.
So is it worth it?
Yes, yes it is.
The difference in quality between the Basil Hayden 10 Year and any of the other bottles in this lineup is massive.
It has a stronger nose, bolder flavors, a longer finish, and is all-around more satisfying to drink.
After tasting the 10 Year, the other bottles taste light and watered down in comparison.
When I drink the Basil Hayden 10 Year, I would expect it to be closer to barrel-proof or at least higher than 40% ABV based on the flavors.
But hands down, this bottle is the most rewarding of the lineup from a complexity standpoint.
Read our full Basil Hayden 10 Year Review.
So Which Basil Hayden Is The Best?
After tasting the entire lineup of Basil Hayden whiskeys, it’s difficult to choose a favorite.
If I could only purchase one bottle from the entire lineup with price not being a factor, I would choose Basil Hayden 10 Year.
Of course right? It was the most expensive!
I think the best way to break this down is to give you my top selection based on some common whiskey-drinking criteria.
Purchasing a bottle of whiskey for a party?
Basil Hayden Standard should do the trick. It’s a very easy-to-drink whiskey that most people will think is expensive due to its nice packaging.
Buying a whiskey for Wine Drinkers?
If you’re a fan of wine, I would definitely recommend the Basil Hayden Red Wine Cask Finish. I know this is a very select few that overlap between both whiskey and wine critics, but I really did enjoy the flavor notes added by the additional aging in the red wine casks.
Buying whiskey for Fans of the Smoke Stack?
If you’re a fan of old-fashioned’s and looking to add a special smokey twist to this classic cocktail, I would recommend going with the Basil Hayden Subtle Smoke. It’s in the name subtle smoke, but I do think it’d be worth the extra $5 if you’re gonna buy yourself a bottle of Basil Hayden to make some special cocktails.
Buying whiskey for someone who loves sweet flavors?
Basil Hayden Dark Rye was the “Dark Horse” of this race. I expected it to be more spice-forward since it’s a rye, but it was remarkably sweet and savory. If you are looking for a bottle that is unlike any other whiskeys you’ve had, this could be a good choice.
Final Conclusions
Don’t buy Basil Hayden Toast!
For real though, I did enjoy the entire lineup of Basil Hayden whiskeys.
While I definitely didn’t understand why Basil Hayden Toast was so light on flavor, all the other bottles did add a unique flavor to the whiskey that was warranted by their labels and descriptions.
So what is my favorite Basil Hayden?
My favorite Basil Hayden bottle would be the Basil Hayden 10 Year.
While it’s the most expensive, its quality is also the highest.
Of the other bottles, my two favorites would be the Basil Hayden Dark Rye and the Basil Hayden Red Wine Cask Finish.
These two bottles offered something I don’t think I can find in other whiskeys. They’re unique flavors and bottles that I could see pulling out on special occasions to share with friends.
I hope this review helps you decide whether you want to buy these bottles of Basil Hayden. Hopefully, my tasting will steer you in the direction of finding your favorite!
If you decide to give these bottles a shot, please let us know on social media via Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Thanks for reading and cheers!
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