A recipe that dates back to 1792. A rebranding that divided drinkers. A … cheese
infused with the iconic distiller’s straight bourbon? Keep watching for
everything you need to know about Basil Hayden whiskey!
In an age where trends pass like seasons, the fact that a certain bourbon recipe from Kentucky
has survived from before Kentucky was even a state is pretty commendable. According to Basil Hayden's
website, the bourbon was inspired by 18th-century distiller Basil Hayden's original recipe.
Hayden was a rye farmer who moved from Maryland
to Kentucky and started distilling his whiskey quite differently from others.
As per whiskey expert Joseph V. Micallef, in the 1780s, Kentucky was used only for corn whiskeys.
Since Hayden had come fresh from Maryland, where rye whiskeys were a thing back then,
he used a high portion of rye in his whiskeys.
This combination of corn and rye is what is used in Basil Hayden today.
But how did a 1700s recipe make it to the TikTok age? It's all thanks
to Hayden's grandson Raymond Basil Hayden, who probably referred to
his gramps' notes to bring out the popular bourbon Old Grand-Dad in his honor, in 1840.
"Bar keep? Two whiskeys."
Old Grand-Dad used a high percentage of rye as well, as mentioned in "The Curious Bartender's
Whiskey Road Trip." Old Grand-Dad and Basil Hayden use the same mash bill:
63% corn, 27% rye and 10% malted barley.
Basil Hayden was introduced by master distiller Booker Noe, who is a sixth generation of the Beam
family. According to Jim Beam's website, he was known for revitalizing the bourbon category which
was in the bear market, by launching a small batch of premium bourbons, among which is: Basil Hayden.
Other bourbons included Booker's Bourbon, Knob Creek and Baker's. Noe timed the release with
his retirement, saying goodbye in style after almost 50 years of working at the Beam distillery.
During Noe's time there, however, Jim Beam had acquired the National
Distillers' spirit division in 1950. It had included Old Grand-Dad,
according to Distillery Commons, the whiskey that was made the way master distiller Basil
Hayden had made it in the 18th century — with more rye than most bourbons.
Almost 42 years since Old Grand-Dad became part of the Beam family,
Noe came up with a bourbon that uses a similar high-rye percentage — and that was Basil Hayden.
Basil Hayden and Old Grand-Dad are the only two bourbons made in the
Beam distillery that use a high-rye bourbon mash.
This is different from the mash bill used in other whiskeys made at Jim Beam's distillery.
For example, Jim Beam White Label and Knob Creek use the standard bourbon mash bill at 13% rye,
and others like Old Overholt and Jim Beam Rye use a rye mash bill at over 50% rye.
"Do you need anything for the pain?" "No, I've got that covered."
Besides being mash bill twins, both taste similar to some,
according to Reddit, and their names are an ode to the same man: Meredith Basil Hayden,
who is credited to have inspired both. He is the face you see on every Old Grand-Dad bottle.
Though there is a ton in common, Basil Hayden advertises itself as a premium
spin on the Old Grand-Dad. A bottle of Basil Hayden is around $44, way higher than an Old
Grand-Dad which is around $27, according to Wine Searcher. Basil Hayden's bottle does
look a tad posher than its ancestor's bottle, and as mentioned in the book "Bourbon at its Best:”
"It spends a little more time in barrels than Old Grand-Dad."
In the past Basil Hayden had no qualms about revealing its age. Its bottles
clearly mention that the whiskey inside it was aged for eight years, per "American Whiskey."
As of 2014, according to Liquor, this age statement was replaced by the statement,
quote, "Artfully Aged." But how does one quantify "artfully?"
A Redditor wrote that hiding the age meant there's, quote, "nothing certain," and that
it might as well contain some basic, quote, "2 year old straight" in it — until they were
corrected by another Redditor, who explained that the whiskey used in a, quote, "No Age Statement"
bourbon should be at least four years old. And they are right — it's the law, as per Liquor.
It is a misconception that a No Age Statement, known as NAS, whiskey is inferior to one that
mentions the age, according to Joel Hauer, founder of the whiskey subscription service,
Whisky Loot. NAS doesn't mean that the whiskey is of low quality or hasn't been
aged at all — what it means is that it is a blend of a range of whiskeys of different ages.
Joel said on Whisky Loot:
"NAS whisky can be every bit as tasty and sophisticated as aged whisky,
and it has opened the floodgates for whisky distillers to experiment with
new blends that can revolutionize the whisky-drinking experience!"
Also, dropping the age on a bottle allows the distiller to focus on
other aspects such as, quote, "color, flavor and technique."
According to Master of Malt, fans of Basil Hayden's bourbon have said it's:
"[The] smoothest, most drinkable bourbon. Very enjoyable."
Adding to the validation from its customers, the drink has gone on to bag an array of awards that
attest to its winning taste. Whiskey expert Charles MacLean, in his book,
"Great Whiskeys," listed Basil Hayden as one among the 500 of the best from around the world.
While making the list, MacLean wrote that he had help from other experts,
including Scottish whiskey pro Dave Broom, Edinburgh-based whiskey writer Tom Bruce-Gardyne,
and Ian Buxton, author of "The First Definitive Book on Whisky," among others.
Basil Hayden earned a spot on the list based on all their collective expert opinions.
Basil Hayden's rye whiskey won the double gold in the 2017 New York International
Spirits Competition, and its straight bourbon won the gold in the same competition in 2020,
while nabbing another double gold in San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2020. Also resting
in Basil Hayden's trophy case is a gold from the American Spirits Council of Tasters 2021.
The drink was among the 600 entries that were judged for color, aroma, taste,
and finish. Judges included Martin Cate, rum and cocktail expert and co-author of
James Beard Award-winning book "Smuggler's Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki"; and
founder of Bourbon Women's Association and 2019 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Famer, Peggy Noe Stevens.
Here's a cheese that will go well with your Basil Hayden straight bourbon:
a cheese infused with the same spirit. Utah-based Beehive Cheese
and Basil Hayden joined hands to come up with a bourbon-infused cheese named, "Pour me a slice."
As per the Beehive Cheese website, this spirited creation — launched in 2019,
right before the holiday season — is:
"Sweet and creamy with a hint of bourbon spice."
The aged cheddar cheese, made with vegetarian rennet, cow's milk,
and Basil Hayden's straight bourbon, goes well with soup, bread, fruit, or crackers,
per those who reviewed the product on the website.
According to Christopher Null,
founder of Drinkhacker, a blog that reviews alcoholic beverages, the cheese is:
"Moderately sharp, the whiskey element is elusive, and while notes of vanilla and a
hint of charred wood do manage to emerge on the finish, it is heavily overpowered
by the more traditional sharp cheddar notes. Powerfully tart and a bit salty."
The cheese, however, went on to bag the bronze medal at the 2021 World Cheese Awards,
which had a total of 4,079 cheese entries from 45 countries, according to The New York Times.
The 33rd edition of the festival was held in Spain, and as mentioned on the International
Cheese Festival website, there were 250 international judges picking out the best.
By making an 18th-century recipe cool, Basil Hayden has proven that it's all for traditions.
In 2021, however, it made the bold move of shifting from its set recipe for one new
expression. Called Basil Hayden Toast Bourbon, the new drink used brown rice instead of rye in
its mash bill. While the original mash bill called for 27% rye – besides corn
and malted barley – Basil Hayden's Toast uses 27% brown rice, according to Forbes.
The result was a drink that had less spice — a taste which the rye brings in — and more notes of
sweetness. According to the website it also has an increased depth of flavor, which was brought by:
"Secondary aging in a toasted then flash-charred oak barrel."
Since the bourbon was made to rest in charred barrels,
there are notes of toasted wood. As per the company, it's a:
"Complex flavor grounded in sweet vanilla and rich roasted nuts."
The reviewers on the website called it smooth, with one commenting:
"I found it light and refreshing,
not like other Hayden offerings. Great sipper for a hot summer day."
Jim Beam Distillery is not new to brown rice bourbons; back in 2014, it released Jim Beam
Signature Craft Brown Rice Bourbon, which was 90 proof and aged 11 years. As per the company,
it was an experiment that a group of, quote, "daring distillers" took up back in 2003.
"To old D.H. Lawrence."
In 2019, Basil Hayden introduced a certain whiskey and rum blend called Caribbean Reserve Rye.
According to Basil Hayden's website, the whiskey is a blend of eight-year-old
Kentucky straight rye whiskey and four-year-old Canadian rye whisky.
To this is added blackstrap rum, a rum made with blackstrap molasses — a common ingredient in
most Caribbean rums, per Richard Seale, master distiller of Foursquare Rum. The drink tastes
sweet but also has notes of spice, toasted oak, and vanilla. This was a limited edition
product by the company, and now, only rests as an image and description on Basil Hayden's website.
Similarly, Basil Hayden's Two by Two Rye, which Men's Journal referred to
as something you can sip before breakfast and continue nursing throughout the day,
was released as a limited edition rye in 2018.
As per the journal, the drink was a blend of two ryes, aged five and seven years, and two bourbons,
aged seven and 13 years. Despite the exhilarating feedback from customers,
Basil Hayden's Two by Two Rye stayed on for just two ticks.
Today, Basil Hayden offers bourbon, dark rye, 10-year bourbon, and toast. Its 10-year bourbon,
which is aged in newly-charred American oak barrels, was first released in 2018, before
appearing again in the market as a limited-edition offering in 2020, according to Thrillist.
Jim Beam Distillery introduced Basil Hayden with other small-batch bourbons,
such as Knob Creek and Baker's. Each was known for its unique characteristic — as per Gear Patrol,
Baker's, at 130 proof, was targeted toward veteran whiskey drinkers;
and Knob Creek, at 100 proof, was the best value bourbon.
"We've got bourbon! We can make Manhattans!" "Okay!"
"Manhattans! At this time of night?" "Bring the cocktail shaker."
“Oh, sugar.”
Then there was Basil Hayden, whose reputation, per American Whiskey, was being, quote,
"the lightest member" in the small batch release. At 80 proof, the easy-drinking qualities of Basil
Hayden are what attracted casual drinkers to it, according to Richard Thomas of American Whiskey.
Thrillist points out that the low proof of Basil Hayden makes it a
good alternative to Old Grand-Dad – available in 80, 100, and 114
proof – which can seem a little rough for those who aren't used to the whiskey burn.
Bartender Bryan Walls told Liquor.com:
"I would choose Basil Hayden's as a good beginner bourbon. It's very smooth and easy drinking."
Having said that, some critics find it too highly-priced compared to other 80-proof bourbons.
Old Grand-Dad, which has the same mash bill as Basil Hayden but a higher proof,
costs only half as much.
Whiskey expert Joseph V. Micallef refers to Basil Hayden's low proof as a drawback. He said:
"A few additional years of aging and the higher proof
would make it much more flavorful and complex."
Basil Hayden used to be called "Basil Hayden's." While it lost the baggage that was the apostrophe,
it also got quite a makeover. Along with launching a brand new mashbill
that replaced rye with brown rice, the company revamped its bottle design.
Some of the changes, as mentioned in Men's Journal, include the replacement
of the foil cap with a wooden one. The neck of the bottle now sports a label,
which has the name of founding distiller Booker Noe embossed in gold letters.
The belt — a Basil Hayden trademark, which has the letters "B" and "H" monogrammed on it, inspired
from the metal hoops that are used to hold a barrel together — is wider on the new bottles.
The design was rolled out mid-2021. Customers,
of course, did notice the update. The company called the change:
"[A] sophisticated, design-forward packaging update."
And a Redditor posted:
"The metal bh belt makes it look like it came out of a vintage Tim Burton movie or a steampunk bar."
But a few others were not too pleased. One referred to it as,
quote, "weird," and another said:
"The bottle gimmick was kinda dumb before. This looks even worse."
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