Jim Beam

Basil Hayden’s Bourbon Whiskey Review

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Who the heck is Basil Hayden?  In a nutshell, he was a distiller in the 1700s who led several families to settle at Bardstown, KY.  He also liked a higher percentage of rye in his whiskey.  Now, let’s talk about Basil Hayden’s bourbon.  I’ve wanted to try this bottle for a long time.  Maybe the elaborate packaging got to me?   I’m a sucker for great packaging, but if the whiskey inside the bottle isn’t good then a nice label really doesn’t matter.  After all, a bottle of bourbon isn’t shelf decoration – it’s for drinking.

Before we get to the tasting notes, let’s examine this bourbon a little.  Basil Hayden’s uses Jim Beam’s high-rye mash bill.  It shares DNA with Old Grand Dad, Jim Beam Rye, and (ri)1.  A little tidbit – Basil Hayden is pictured on the bottle of Old Grand Dad. Also of note is the age statement, or lack thereof.  It’s the only member of Jim Beam’s Small Batch Collection that doesn’t carry an age statement.  Basil Hayden’s used to be aged 8 years.  Now, it’s “artfully aged.”  My assumption is the distillery is using younger whiskey while trying their best to keep the flavor profile of this whiskey the same.

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(The distillery’s PR firm provided a review sample.)  On the nose, I get a little rye spice, some light caramel, slight oak and even a little mint.  Taste-wise it’s got a pretty light body.  Could be because of the low proof (80 proof).  Basil Hayden is not too sweet.  I get some of that rye spice and a little black pepper.  There’s also a slight bit of oak.  The best way I can describe the finish is crisp & dry.

Basil Hayden’s is James Bond’s bourbon of choice… as per Carte Blanche, a 007 novel from 2011.  If it’s good enough for James Bond, it’s good enough for me.  Seriously though – Basil Hayden is a nicely spiced, light whiskey. It’s not as complex as Four Roses Small Batch.  Maybe that’s not a fair comparison.  They are both light whiskies, but complete worlds apart in terms of flavor.  I haven’t mixed Basil Hayden in a cocktail yet, so I can’t recommend anything other than drinking it neat at the moment.  Ice and water completely drown the flavors in this one.  It’s that light.  A bottle will cost you about $40.  A little over-priced, but a nice spring-time sipper nonetheless.

7.5/10

Booker’s Bourbon Whiskey Review

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I first tried Booker’s about 3 or so years ago.  It was the first barrel-proof bourbon I tasted.  I remember thinking, “Hell, this is hot!”  A few years and a few barrel-proof bourbons later,  I bought a bottle of Booker’s 25th Anniversary early 2014 and loved it.  That left me wanting to try a normal batch of Booker’s again.  With the 25th anniversary release being so good, how does a normal batch of Booker’s bourbon compare?  Read on.

Jim Beam releases several batches of Booker’s each year.  Each one is slightly different in age and proof.  Booker Noe, the former (and now passed) master distiller at Jim Beam who first released this in the late 1980s, loved his bourbon to be aged between six and eight years.  The releases of Booker’s tend to live within that range.  Booker’s is barrel-proof, uncut and unfiltered.  This batch (2014-06) is 7 years 2 months and 14 days old, and comes in at 127.7 proof.  Booker’s is part of Jim Beam’s Small Batch Collection, a premium line of bourbons that also includes Knob Creek, Baker’s and Basil Hayden. (The distillery’s PR firm provided this sample for review.)

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Right out front I get a really robust aromas.  Caramel, oak, orange peel, vanilla, ripe banana.  On the palate there is lots of caramel and sweet oak.  There’s a slightly herbal quality… mint maybe?  I also get a little cinnamon spice.  The finish is sweet and long, with a little spice.  Afterwards, there’s a slight bit of dry oak.  Let’s compare to the 25th anniversary:  that one is a bit more vanilla and oak forward, and seems a little more elegant (not a term I’d normally use for a barrel proof bourbon) compared to this.  As of this writing, your chances of finding a bottle of Booker’s 25th are slim to none.

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This is one outstanding bourbon.  It’s got all the classic bourbon flavors I love turned up to 11.  The high proof on this release adds to the robust nature of the bourbon instead of detracting.  I find it completely drinkable, even at such a high proof. Sure, some folks will have a hard time with bourbon proofs north of 100.  To those people I’d suggest a splash of water.  A bottle of Booker’s will run you just north of $50.  I think every bourbon collector should have a barrel proof bourbon in their collection.  Thankfully, this one is readily available on store shelves.  Recommended.

8.5/10

Finding liquid gold in Nashville

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My fiancee Carly and I took a weekend road trip to Nashville for a friend’s wedding.  I thought I’d take advantage of some of the liquor stores in the area.  My goal: to find bourbons that aren’t sold in the New Orleans market.

Our first stop was Frugal MacDougal.  This place was huge, but their bourbon selection wasn’t as expansive as I’d hoped.  As I slowly made my way down their bourbon aisle, nobody bothered to ask if I needed help.  I nabbed a bottle of Jim Beam 7 year old for about $15 .  I knew Beam made it, but it was the first time I saw it.  Can’t wait to compare this to the standard 4 year old Jim Beam.

Then it was off to Midtown Wine & Spirits.  The store was a bit more upscale than Frugal MacDougal’s.   After chatting it up with an employee (who coincidentally taught at my old university), I picked up a bottle of Four Roses Single Barrel Barrel Strength at her suggestion, which was an exclusive store bottling.  I don’t remember seeing a barrel strength Four Roses here in New Orleans.  The frustrating thing about Midtown was most of what I asked for I was told they had in stock in the back, but the owner didn’t let employees sell that stuff.   No, I didn’t ask for Pappy Van Winkle.  Strangely enough, where WL Weller 12 year is practically falling off the shelves here in New Orleans, Nashville is experiencing a shortage of sorts.  Apparently very hard to come by up there.

The last stop on my mini-adventure was Grand Cru Wine and Spirits.  It was a much smaller wine and spirits store than the previous two, but the most helpful.  The two gentlemen there were quite helpful.  In fact, one used to live here in New Orleans.   Small world, right?  I grabbed the last two bottles of Old Forester Single Barrel, one for my buddy Hank and one for myself.  I was offered a taste of their selection of Blanton’s.  Boy, it was delicious!  I’ve had a couple of different sips of Blanton’s before, but I liked this one enough to pick it up.  I also walked away with a bottle of Old Grand Dad 114 after being offered a taste.

Grand Cru was by far the place I’d recommend people going to, if you’re not sure what you’re looking for.  The folks at Midtown were also pretty knowledgable.  All in all it was a pretty successful trip in terms of buying bourbon.  Next time, I’d like to hit some of the distilleries.  All the bourbons mentioned will be reviewed here on AdventuresInWhiskey.com at some point in the future.  I can’t wait.