BASIL HAYDEN - ANOTHER BOURBON WORTH GETTING

[CH4]

The most important thing to remember about whiskey is that in the end it’s a beverage. No more, no less.

If you don’t like the burn, add water until it doesn’t burn any more. People who think that in order to be manly they need to “get used” to the burn of neat whiskey are as dumb as those who brag about “being used” to shooting without hearing protection.

Some cultures are more prone to mixing. In Canada in particular, mixing with ginger ale is common, and Canadian whiskies are formulated with that in mind.

So basically, do what you want. It’s just grains, yeast, wood, and water after all. And never be afraid to like or dislike a whiskey, no matter what the “experts” say.

Thanks, I appreciate your comments.
It seems single malt seems to be harder to get down without something to chase it.

 

[typetwelve]

Thanks, I appreciate your comments.
It seems single malt seems to be harder to get down without something to chase it.

Aw man...single malts are my favorites. My scotch collection rivals my bourbon collection.

I like the wine like characteristics and light smoke of many single malts.

I'm rather embarrassed to admit it, but at the moment my favorite is Johnnie Walker Green. I know its a blended scotch, but its a far more simple blend compared to most JW offerings. Its a blend of just 4, which are all 15 year aged and listed by name (again, rare for JW). JW green fetches some $75/bottle where I live, but I can score a bottle for the mid $50's whenever I make my way down to STL.

 

[Gulfecho]

Once at Costco I bought a gift pack of Basil Hayden and Bookers for something like $65. A screaming deal by any stretch of the imagination. My buddy accidently broke the bottle of Basil Hayden. I nearly cried.

 

[joeintexas]

Nothing wrong with mixing whatever suits your taste with your bourbon. Checked the Basil Hayden yesterday, $42 here, passed. I like a splash of water, seems to bring out the flavor.

 

[StephenWhoDat]

Why oh why would you mix a good bourbon with gnger ale???
Inquiring minds need to know!!!

From what I've been told, bourbon and ginger ale is a Yankee drink. But, I will admit that I've tried it. And honestly, I enjoyed it... Don't tell my family! haha

 

[eb07]

Nothing like a good whiskey and smoke after a long day

 

[typetwelve]

Nothing like a good whiskey and smoke after a long day

I don't smoke anymore...but I'm there on the pour of whiskey.

It's getting to sipping season, I feel weird sipping whisky when it's 90 degrees out and July. Fall on? Oh yeah...time for a nightly pour. Last night was some Four Roses single barrel and some Weller Special reserve.

 

[Absalom]

....
It's getting to sipping season, I feel weird sipping whisky when it's 90 degrees out and July. Fall on? Oh yeah...time for a nightly pour..

I’m quite a bit of an “ambience drinker”. Opposite of you for me.

Bourbons and Tennessee whiskeys are classics for sipping when it’s sunny, hot and humid out ... kind of how I’ve experienced KY and TN.

In winter, when it’s cold and uncozy and the rain is beating against the windows, like in Scotland, the (often heavily peated) scotch comes out

 

[oink]

Nothing wrong with mixing whatever suits your taste with your bourbon. Checked the Basil Hayden yesterday, $42 here, passed. I like a splash of water, seems to bring out the flavor.

I'm of two minds on this. I don't, but I do agree that mixing in a little quality water is OK. Otherwise, if you need to mix other contaminants than quality water into your sipping whisky, well then you need to buy better whisky. It's a sacrilege to otherwise adulterate good sipping whisky.

On the other hand I do buy lesser bourbons for mixing. I usually have some Evan Williams around for that. I haven't tried the ginger ale thing. Maybe I can get rid of that nasty bottle of HillBiilly bourbon that way. I might still have a bottle of two of Vernors ginger ale in the closet (which I see is now owned by Dr Pepper. I hope they didn't screw it up).

I can see why Canadian drinkers often mix. Most Canadian whisky's don't have much flavor on their own, although the Crown Royal Black isn't bad.

Oh yeah, I do have a bottle of Basil Hayden. It's not bad.

 

[625-7]

Why oh why would you mix a good bourbon with gnger ale???
Inquiring minds need to know!!!

Because coke, dr pepper and 7up kill bourbon. For a good wiskey this yankee adds Canada Dry. An excellent spirit stands best alone no water no pop

 

[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"...