Basil Hayden's Kentucky Straight Bourbon

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The lightest of Jim Beam's small-batch bourbons. A high-rye recipe brings buttery corn and honey together with ginger and tea-like spice.

Details

Brand	Basil Hayden's
Distillery	Jim Beam
Origin	USA / Kentucky
Style	Bourbon
Age	NAS
ABV	40%
Cask	New oak casks

Flavour profile

Smoky
Sweet
Fruity
Spicy
Rich

* Editorial estimate.

Tasting notes

Nose: Buttery corn sweetness with honey and oaky vanilla.
Palate: Light-bodied — honey, root ginger and a tea-like note, lightly spiced with oak.
Finish: Clean and fairly short, with gentle spice and vanilla.

* Editorial tasting notes.

How to enjoy it

Neat
On the rocks
Highball

At 40% ABV and light in body, it is easy to sip neat or on the rocks even for bourbon newcomers. As a highball, the ginger-like spice comes through freshly.

Food pairing

Salt-seasoned yakitori, grilled chicken and nuts.

Background & production

Named after Basil Hayden, a pioneer distiller making whiskey in the late 1700s who is said to have used more rye in his mash than others. The bourbon shares the high-rye grain recipe of Old Grand-Dad.

It was introduced in 1992 in response to growing interest in small-batch bourbons. It is made at the Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont, Kentucky, and is now a Suntory Global Spirits brand.

It carries no age statement and is bottled at 80 proof (40% ABV).