Seems like everyone is doing a toasted barrel bourbon these days, so I guess it was only a matter of time before Jim Beam brought us Basil Hayden Toast, or something like it. Though with all the experimentation they’ve been doing with the Basil Hayden line, I’m not surprised and it does seem like a good fit for what the brand has become. Though I am surprised about its mash bill.
BH Toast isn’t just the addition of a toasted barrel to finish the whiskey in, it’s a whole new mash bill that removes the rye and substitutes it for brown rice. I.e., this release is not just Old Grand-Dad finished in another barrel and proofed down to 80%, it’s an entirely new beast.
Will this rice-infused toasted barrel whiskey be a beauty or a beast? Let’s get to drinkin’ and find out.
Basil Hayden Toast – Details and Tasting Notes
Whiskey Details
Natural Color
Style: Bourbon (Straight)
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Jim Beam
Mash Bill: 63% Corn, 27% Brown Rice, 10% Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak, Toasted Oak
Age: 4+ Years
ABV: 40%
Basil Hayden Toast Price: $45*
Related Whiskey
Jim Beam Brown Rice Harvest Bourbon
Basil Hayden’s Bourbon
Basil Hayden’s Bourbon 10 Years
Basil Hayden’s Two By Two Rye
Basil Hayden’s Rye
Basil Hayden Toast Tasting Notes
EYE
Gold
NOSE
Toasted marshmallows, Banana’s Foster, dried fruit, dried corn and a touch of nuts.
Light and sweet aroma with a slightly nutty undertone that pulls it together.
PALATE
Banana’s Foster, toasted mallows, coconut, dried fruit, honey, nuts and a light spice.
There is a slightly earthy note to it, but outside of that undertone it’s pretty light and sweet.
FINISH
Short -> Banana’s Foster, coconut and baking spice flash out.
BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Ok balance, light body and a thin, watery body.
Basil Hayden Toast – Overall Thoughts and Score
The entire premise of the regular Basil Hayden is to proof down Old Grand-Dad, put it in a fancy bottle, 2-3x the price and market it as a premium smooth whiskey. Even when it carried an 8-year age statement it was still pretty darn light, but it did have a nice bit of rye spice to it… and now they’ve removed that rye spice.
There isn’t much oak to speak of, and what’s there is ethereal and wispy and comes across like a slightly more bold Light Whiskey. Which begs the question… who is the target for this? People who think the standard BH has too much flavor?
Nothing is off, nothing is bad, nothing is terrible, the Basil Hayden Toast is just painfully boring and light without at least being interesting or a good cocktail mixer; it was covered up immediately and disappeared into the Basin Street. If I were to buy any of the current line it would be the Basil Hayden 10 years, though honestly, I’d still take the OGD 114 over that… if I could find it.
SCORE: 2.5/5 (average, drinkable, possible minor flaws – C+ | 77-79)
*Disclosure: The sample for this bourbon review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.
Basil Hayden Toast Review $45
Overall
2.5- Nose (2.5)
- Palate (2.5)
- Finish (2.5)
- BBF (2.5)