Basil Hayden 10 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Basil Hayden was affectionately known as the ‘father of High Rye Bourbon’ and was a pioneer. To honor the man, the family of Jim Beam created a brand around small batch bourbons and named it Basil Hayden’s back in the early 1990s. Supposedly it’s the same mash that Knob Creek uses as well.

Usually Basil Hayden’s is a 7 or 8-year old expression, but in this limited release it gets a full decade to rest and that seems to make a world of difference — something that kind of surprised me. This is just so much more rich and complex than the regular statement, I can see why it’s become very popular in a small amount of time.

This one is pretty dang rare from Basil Hayden and pretty dang allocated too. I had to fight tooth and nail to secure us 24 bottles. I’m expecting that they’re not going to last very long though!