93pts Wine Enthusiast
Complex and balanced, this go-to Bourbon features vanilla aromatics with a touch of fresh apple. On the palate, it's light at first, showing vanilla and honey, and winds into deeper, rounded notes of cocoa and hazelnut. Splash in ginger ale for a highball and sip all night long.
85pts Whiskey Advocate
Interesting that the label says “Artfully Aged,” yet there's no actual age statement. Lively nose, good rye snap and spice, a bit of mint and oaky edge. Not hot, well-behaved on the tongue, and happily gives back everything taken on the nose. Sweet, spicy, and easy to like, this is whiskey without flaw, well-done and tasty, if not overly ambitious or challenging.
ONCE UPON A
TIME IN KENTUCKY
A BASIL HAYDEN HISTORY
Crafted in 1992 by Booker Noe as part of the Small Batch collection, Basil Hayden introduced a more subtle side of bourbon compared to its counterparts.
This style of bourbon was inspired by 1792 whiskey pioneer Meredith Basil Hayden, Sr., a rye farmer from Maryland who moved to Kentucky and began distilling. He chose to distill his bourbon with a higher percentage of rye, and Booker set out to create a similar high-rye mash bill that would offer the same refined, approachable taste profile.
Today, this bourbon stands as a tribute to Meredith Basil Hayden, Sr.’s high-rye mash bill ingenuity, as well as to Booker Noe, a true innovator who sought to welcome new drinkers into whiskey.
