BASIL HAYDEN - ANOTHER BOURBON WORTH GETTING

[S&WOkie]

Three of Beam's Small Batch bourbons, Knob Creek, Baker's, and Booker's, are different bottlings of the same Beam bourbon recipe and distillate, just selected and handled differently in terms of barrel selection, storage location, aging, and proof.

Basil Hayden is the only one with a different distillate, the Old Granddad recipe with twice the rye at 30%, compared to the regular bourbon at around 15%. So it should taste differently.

BH is basically OGD at double the age. I've always thought a BH at the higher proofs that OGD is available, up to 114, would be a great idea.

Yeah, I know. That was my point. The BH needs to be higher proof for me to enjoy.

Most 80 proof whiskey taste watered down to me. I know some like it that way and that's fine. It's just not to my liking.

For the record my favorite bourbon is an older bottle of Old Weller Antique 107. I don't know what I'm going to do when it is gone. The new Weller 107 is difficult to find here and I'm afraid even if I find it that it won't be the same.

Fortunately there are still many other whiskies out there to enjoy!

 

[typetwelve]

Yeah, I know. That was my point. The BH needs to be higher proof for me to enjoy.

Most 80 proof whiskey taste watered down to me. I know some like it that way and that's fine. It's just not to my liking.

For the record my favorite bourbon is an older bottle of Old Weller Antique 107. I don't know what I'm going to do when it is gone. The new Weller 107 is difficult to find here and I'm afraid even if I find it that it won't be the same.

Fortunately there are still many other whiskies out there to enjoy!

90 proof is my cutoff with Bourbon, the Weller reserve is 90 proof and I enjoy it neat. I have a bottle left of the 107, don't have the 12.

A friend of mine can darn near get the Reserve any time I like, the 107 is harder to come by. The 12? I've yet to see a bottle of it, ever. I've had it and it is pretty solid...but I can't nail down a bottle at retail pricing.

I did make a batch of "poor man pappy" by barrel aging 2 bottles of 107 reduced to 90 proof with Kentucky source water, it's pretty solid...my wife describes it as tasting like an "attic"...