Whiskey Review: Basil Hayden Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Introduction

We’re well underway on Season 10 of the podcast, and returning with a bottle that sparked strong opinions from us in the past: Basil Hayden Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Formerly known as “Basil Hayden’s,” this small batch bourbon from Beam Suntory dropped the apostrophe a few years back, as if disowning the juice entirely. Now simply "Basil Hayden," it remains one of the most recognizable (and polarizing) names in modern bourbon.

Part of the Beam small batch collection alongside Baker’s, Booker’s, and Knob Creek, Basil Hayden was first released in 1992. It’s bottled at 80 proof and, although the mash bill is undisclosed, it’s rumored to contain 62% corn, 27% rye, and 10% malted barley—making it a high-rye bourbon.

This time around, Bob and Brad dive back into the bottle with open minds (well, mostly), ready to reassess whether this widely available bourbon is worth the $40 price tag.

This review is taken from our episode "Inglourious Basterds (2009) / Basil Hayden Kentucky Straight Bourbon." Click the link to listen to this review in audio format.

Nose

Brad:
I came into this wanting to give it every chance it could get. I gave the nose a 6/10. I got some orange zest, a little bit of corn, some caramel, and a little bit of oak. Nothing popped, but there was nothing rough either. That orange zest gave it a bit of character. It was decent.

Bob:
This is probably the most unique nose I’ve had in a few weeks on the podcast. I may be overestimating it, but I get a lot of tart green apple, that same orange zest, and this weird candy I remember but never liked—like those old green jelly wedges rolled in sugar, mint-flavored. I also get black licorice, which is really potent here. I don’t know what that’s going to mean for the taste, but I really dig this nose. I'm giving it an 8/10.

Taste

Brad:
Bob, I got a little hint of a juicy peach note at first, but the longer I drank it, it turned into corn and water. I could taste the water. I'm giving this a 4.5/10. I don’t hate it, but you can go kick rocks.

Bob:
There’s very little bourbon character on the palate. It drinks a lot hotter than 80 proof—really prickly on the tongue. I get that black licorice again. I can’t tell which secondary grain is more prominent. It doesn’t taste like rye, but it has a rye-like mouthfeel—herbal, prickly, a little peppery. I actually think it leans more toward the barley. There’s a lot of oak, some spicy black licorice. It’s way outside the usual Beam profile: no nutty notes. It’s not my favorite, but it’s okay. I’m giving it a 7/10.

Finish

Brad:
No, Bob. Go home. The finish is garbage. There’s some oak and water and corn, and it’s harsh. Doesn’t leave you in a good place. 3/10.

Bob:
It does turn a little bitter at the end, for sure. But at 80 proof, I don’t think there’s a lot of whiskey that leaves a big impression on the finish. This reminds me of Benchmark or Old Grand-Dad. I notice it going down a little, but there’s not much Kentucky hug. The flavor that’s left is oak and raw grain. This is where it suffers. Still don’t hate it. I’m giving it a 6/10.

Balance

Brad:
It’s not the most well-balanced whiskey I’ve ever had, but not the worst either. I’ll give it a 5/10.

Bob:
I’m giving it a 7.5/10. My scores go 8, 7, 6 across the board, so it’s a pretty steady drop-off—not steep. Fairly well-balanced.

Value

Bob:
This is where I’m really going to punish this whiskey. At the time of recording, it’s selling for $40 in Ohio. That’s just too much. This is an 80-proof whiskey, at least 4 years old, but still. If you wanted it to be the “fancy” 80-proofer, cap it at $30. Even then, I’d say it’s overpriced. At $40? I’m giving it a 2.5/10.

Brad:
That’s just greedy. I don’t know if you can punish it as badly as I will. I’m giving it a 0.5/10. This is a $15-$20 whiskey masquerading as a $40 whiskey. That’s unacceptable.

Bob:
To its credit, the packaging is nice. Clearly designed to be “fancy.” If you’re gifting to someone who isn’t into whiskey, maybe it works. It looks nice. But the juice? Not worth it. If this were $30, I’d probably give it a 6/10 just because of the packaging. But at $40, it’s drastically overpriced.

Brad:
It does look nice. But the value’s not there.

Final Scores

• Brad: 19/50
• Bob: 31/50
• Average: 25/50

Conclusion

With an average of 25 out of 50, this is one of the lowest-scoring whiskeys in Film & Whiskey history—right down there with Jameson Cold Brew. While Bob had a relatively pleasant experience, Brad’s take was brutally honest. Both agree that the value is drastically off base.

As we always say: 35/50 is the tipping point where we’d recommend trying a pour at the bar or maybe grabbing a bottle. 40/50 is great. 45/50 is excellent. This one? It’s a hard pass—unless you’re after nice packaging and a whiskey to display, not drink.