Basil Hayden Red Wine Cask Finish

I’d like to thank the folks from Beam Suntory and their PR teams for sharing this sample with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Basil Hayden Red Wine Cask Finish sitting in front of a tree with fall leaves.

A while back, my favorite artist came out with a new album. I stream everything on Spotify these days, but when I want to support an artist, I have no problem buying an album digitally as well. If I need to, I will buy the CD instead. But I realized as I was looking at the order page that I no longer have a device that will play CDs. Not even my vehicle has a CD player. And the last computer with an optical drive died last year. So I decided that I’d buy the album on vinyl. If I wasn’t going to be able to play it anyway, I might as well go with the big art. This way, I could use it as wall art, if nothing else.

But a funny thing happened after I bought that vinyl album. I got to thinking about the nature of the music I listened to as a kid. About albums that were meant to be listened to from start to finish instead of as individual tracks. And I came to the realization that even though I love streaming, there is something to be said about old formats too. Yes, I love just throwing on a playlist and letting it go all day. Basically as background music for my life. But when I was a kid, vinyl was king. Unless you were much more coordinated than I was, you couldn’t just choose the track you wanted to listen to (unless you had a single). And as is turns out, there are some ablums that were better listened to in order with one track flowing into another. Basically a larger work of art that is made up of smaller works of art.

So why didn’t I already have a ton of vinyl? Well, I was alive and aware as CDs hit the stage and became the dominant music format. I remember kids in school teasing me about still playing records when they all had CD players. Kids can be cruel and the those in the tiny town I grew up in were hyper-obsessed with how rich someone was. The more money you had the more popular you were. And I grew up in poverty so I didn’t have a lot of friends back then. The moment I could afford a CD player as a teenager, I got one. If only so that I could tamp down the emotional baggage of being teased as child. I don’t know that I listened to a record by choice after that until well into my second stint at college. By then I was collecting classic rock albums like crazy. But then digital music came around and, once again, I gave up vinyl as a waste of space and sold or gave them away.

Somehow I never seem to learn.

Anyway, long story short, I may have found a new obsession. Since I bought that “piece of art for the wall” I’ve bought five or six more albums, I researched and ordered a turntable. I’ve made a wishlist of other albums I want to buy in this crazy old format. And I plan to visit a few record stores in the area the next time I have a day free. I like the idea of intently listening to music again. Needing to pay attention to when a record ends and needing to get up to flip it over appeals to me right now.

Now, you may ask what any of that has to do with bourbon. And that’s a good question. But I have a good answer too. You can enjoy music a couple of different ways. You can have it on in the background and almost ignore it. It’s just something to keep it from being too quiet. Or you can sit there and intently listen to a piece of someone’s musical art. Follow how one song flows into another and makes a whole greater than its pieces. Same thing with bourbon. You could take a shot and just use it as a means to an end. Or you could do what we do here and intently taste the bourbon. Teasing out the nuances of someone’s liquid art.

Plus in both of them you can easily get obsessed and spend way more than you had intended to if you aren’t careful. Ask me how I know.

Luckily for me, tonight’s whiskey was a review sample that didn’t cost me anything. It is the latest offering from the Basil Hayden folks over at Jim Beam. This one was partially finished in red wine casks. And although I’ve sworn off Basil Hayden numerous times in the past as not being flavorful enough for me, I found the idea of this one intriguing. Here’s what the producer has to say about it:

A blend of the classic Basil Hayden high-rye mash bill and bourbon partially aged in Californian red wine casks, this special release is ripe with cherries & dried fruit, while also delivering characteristic bourbon flavors of vanilla and charred oak. Perfectly balanced, Basil Hayden Red Wine Cask Finish is layered & complex, yet approachable & inviting.

But, how does it taste?

Basil Hayden Red Wine Cask Finish

Purchase Info: The bottle was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $59.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 ml): $4.00

Details: 40% ABV. Some of the bourbon used in the blend has been finished in California red wine casks.

Nose: Dried cherries, brown sugar, and oak.

Month: Cherry, vanilla, nutmeg, and oak.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Notes of cherry and cinnamon linger.

Thoughts: I've been hard on Basil Hayden products in the past, but I think they have a winner with this one. Lots of flavor in the mouth. The wine cask finish brings a lot of cherry to the party. I like this one. And that cherry note has me thinking that with such pronounced cherry, this might work well in a cocktail. And, of course, how could I pass up that opportunity? After giving it a thought, I landed on a sweet riff on a Manhattan. The result is below. I think it turned out pretty ok.

A Thursday Night Cocktail

  • 2oz Basil Hayden Red Wine Cask Finish

  • 1/2oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao

  • 1/2 oz Luxardo Cherry liqueur

  • 2 dashes of Aromatic bitters (I use my own recipe, but Angostura would work too)

  • Orange Peel for Garnish

Directions: Combine all ingredients (except orange peel) into a mixing glass with ice. Stir. Strain into your favorite cocktail glass. Express the orange peel over the drink. Garnish with the orange peel and a couple of cherries.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, posters, and more.

Little Book Chapter 6, "To the Finish"

I’d like to thank the folks from Beam Suntory and their PR teams for sharing this sample with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Sample bottle of Little Book Chapter 6, To the Finish.

Beam Suntory’s Little Book is the creation of the newly appointed Eighth Generation Jim Beam Master Distiller Freddie Noe. It is a celebration of what “blended whiskey” can be. These aren’t the blended whiskeys of the mid-to-late 20th century. These are delicious, high proof whiskeys that allow for creativity of ingredient. And I have liked every iteration of Little Book so far. So when I was offered a sample for review, I jumped at it.

This “chapter” is a pretty complicated blend. It includes a five-year-old straight bourbon along with four four-year-old straight malt whiskeys that have each been finished in a different type of finshing barrel. Those include barrels with cherrywood staves and maple wood staves along with barrels that have been smoked with applewood smoke and hickory smoke. Here is what the press release has to say:

Little Book Chapter 6: “To The Finish,” is the latest chapter in Eighth Generation Master Distiller, Freddie Noe’s acclaimed Little Book Whiskey series. The name of this year’s chapter is inspired by Freddie’s passion for both whiskey-making and cooking, and more specifically his curiosity for how flavors come together.

The kitchen has always been a place where the Noe family has come together to share traditions from generation to generation. These traditions around family meals, and Freddie’s adventures around the grill, inspired his work in the rackhouse for Chapter 6. Freddie uses the traditional method of smoking hardwoods to create different aromas and flavors in food, and he’s applied that same method to the whiskey-making process, using unique wood staves and barrel techniques for Chapter 6.

So, how does it taste?

Little Book Chapter 6 "To the Finish"

Purchase Info: This sample was sent to me by the producer for review purposes. The Suggested Retail Price is $124.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $8.33

Details: 58.725% ABV. Blend Components: 4-year-old Straight Malt Whiskey finished with cherrywood staves, 4-year-old Straight Malt Whiskey finished with applewood smoked barrels, 4-year-old Straight Malt Whiskey finished in hickory smoked barrels, 4-year-old Straight Malt Whiskey finished with maple wood staves, and 5-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon.

Nose: Cinnamon, wintergreen, malted grain, and hints of cherry.

Mouth: Very hot and dry. Notes follow the nose with cherry, wintergreen, malt, and cinnamon.

Finish: Long and warm with notes of malt, cinnamon, wintergreen, and a touch of barbeque smoke.

IMAGE: I didn't care for this but it isn't bad whiskey so it gets a neutral face.

Thoughts: I'm sad to say that this is the first "Chapter" of Little Book that didn't work for me. But that is entirely on me, not the Whiskey. I'm not a fan of either malt or smoke, and this has notes of both. So that's on me, not Freddie Noe. If you like/don't mind the flavor of malt whiskey, then this is worth a look.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, posters, and more.

Basil Hayden Subtle Smoke

I’d like to thank the folks from Beam Suntory and their PR teams for sharing this sample with no strings attached.

Let’s just get the elephant out of the room first. I haven’t been too nice to members of the Basil Hayden line-up the last few times I’ve reviewed them. I used to see Basil Hayden as a great entry into bourbon. Gentle, approachable, and just upscale enough in price and design to attract the eye of people who don’t know anything about bourbon. 10 years ago it was a great strategy for bringing people into the Bourbon fold. Then the expressions got just … weird, the price went up, and those new expressions didn’t seem to showcase the approachable to entry-level mentality that I had assigned the brand.

And yes, I’m aware this is a “me problem” not a “brand problem.” It was just the only way I could square what the brand was with what the product(s) cost. But now, Basil Hayden has a new product out that I think could slot right into my early thoughts about the brand. Basil Hayden Subtle Smoke is a terrific introduction to smoked whiskeys. I’m just going to lay that out right away.

But wait! I hear the old-timers say, “You hate smoked whiskeys. How can you give this a fair shake?” And that is true. I am no fan of whiskeys that have a smoke influence. But, I do really like a smoked cocktail now and then. I used to add a half teaspoon of MB Roland Black Dog to an Old Fashioned now and then when I wanted a smoke influence. These days I use Smoke Boards for the same. And based on the way this product was described, it felt like it might be the first smoked whiskey I could enjoy neat. So I requested a sample and here we are.

So what is it? Well here is what the press release has to say:

Basil Hayden Subtle Smoke is crafted differently from most other smoky spirits. The steps to create this unique bourbon begin with toasting and lightly charring a secondary barrel. Afterwards, hickory-smoked chips are delicately ignited at a constant feed to produce smoke, which is then pumped into the barrel, resulting in soft, charred notes. This six-month secondary aging process provides a smoother, more subtle take on smoky spirits, and creates the perfectly sophisticated, yet approachable introduction to both bourbon and Basil Hayden.

And how does it taste? Let’s find out.

Basil Hayden Subtle Smoke

Purchase Info: This sample was provided by the producer for review purposes, the suggested retail price is $49.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.33

Details: 40% ABV. Finished in smoked barrels.

Nose: Butterscotch and (as the name says) subtle smoke.

Mouth: Gentle with smoke notes to start. Beyond that is cinnamon and caramel.

Finish: Short but warm. Notes of smoke and cinnamon.

IMAGE: A smile because I like this in a cocktail!

Thoughts: I'm not a fan of this one neat. I'm afraid that, for me, the smoke is not subtle enough. But, as stated above, that is a “me problem.” If you like a kiss of smoke in your whiskey, this could be one to try. Because I do like smoked cocktails, I ended up trying it in an Old Fashioned. This paired wonderfully with my orange bitters, agave syrup, and a zested orange peel.

So the bottom line for me is that this is a meh when neat but plays very nicely in a cocktail (keep the dilution down though, it is only 80 proof). So because I like it in a cocktail, I’m giving it a like rating.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Alberta Premium

I’d like to thank the folks at Beam Suntory and their PR firms for providing a review sample with no strings attached.

Hey we’re back live! Now you may be asking yourself: “Live? but he just posted last week?” And you’d be correct on that as far as it goes. But this year, since I knew the results prior to writing the first word, I thought I might write three weeks worth of posts and take a bit of time off. And boy, was it a good thing I planned ahead, even if the time away wasn’t as relaxing as I had envisioned.

If you are a long-time reader, you will know that one of my many businesses is a dog sitting business. It just so happened that as I was finishing up writing all the bracket posts, I started watching a very elderly dog. Who was deaf. And took five medicines. One of which was for an infected abscess on his neck. Which smelled so strongly of overly fermented Provalone cheese that it was hard to be in the same room as him. And of course, I felt so sorry for the guy that I washed him up three times a day to keep everything clean while the antibiotics did their job.

While the stinky pup was here, we were also watching one of our frequent guests. He’d gotten into something and had hurt his throat. Poor guy. So he was on multiple medications as well. Some with very strict timing. Toss in two or three other pups and it was a busy week or so. And all of that would have been fine. Easy as can be…except for one small thing. My poor wife slipped, fell and broke her arm. And couldn’t get in to see the surgeon for a week and a half.

So picture this. I’ve got pups who are used to snuggling with my wife and I. Pups who can’t understand why their Auntie keeps telling them to get back from her. We’ve got two pups who aren’t feeling well and a couple more who can’t understand why no one wants to play. My solution? I put my wife in a cage.

Not a real cage, mind you. But we wrapped a large doggie playpen around the sofa so she could be comfortable and dog free while the rest of us played with those pups that wanted to play so they wouldn’t get too rambunctious. It was crazy town! And now things have settled down just in time to get started on tastings and live posts again. Hard to do accurate tastings with a super smelly pooch in the room with you.

Tonight, we are going north of the border for our whisky. We’ve looked at whisky from this company for almost as long as the site has been in existance. And yet, this is the first time I’ve ever had the standard release. And for good reason. It is only now that the flagship Alberta Premium is being released to the US. We’ve gotten the Cask-Strength, we’ve had the Dark Horse/Dark Batch version with a bit of Sherry added to it. We’ve even gotten a taste of their offerings through many, many Non-Distiller Producers who import the whisky under their own brands. But this is the first time we ge to taste what the press release touts as the “number one selling 100% rye whisky in the world.” It also says:

Crafted and distilled in Calgary, Alberta, Alberta Premium is made from 100% Canadian prairie rye grains grown by local farmers. The grains are uniquely nourished by nutrient-dense, glacier-fed spring water from the surrounding Rocky Mountains. The result is a perfectly balanced whisky with unique nuances of flavor that are influenced by the natural climate and environment in which it is made.

So after all of that, let’s see how this tastes. Shall we?

Alberta Premium

Purchase Info: This sample was sent to me by the producer for review purposes. Suggested Retail Price is $24.99.

Price per Drink (50mL): $1.67

Details: 40% ABV.

Nose: Butterscotch, cedar, and pencil shavings.

Mouth: Cinnamon, butterscotch, cedar, and mint.

Finish: Gentle and on the shorter side. Notes of butterscotch, cinnamon, and cedar.

IMAGE: A smile because I like it!

Thoughts: Nothing wrong with that at all. If you are exclusively a bourbon drinker, give it a pass. It's a little more delicate than you will be used to. But if you enjoy a Canadian Whisky now and then, give this a shot. I think it is quite tasty. And if nothing else. it will give you something to compare all the higher-end Alberta Premium expressions against.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Baker’s Exclusive Selection. Limited Edition Release

I’d like to thank the folks at Beam Suntory and their PR firms for providing a review sample with no strings attached.

We are still working our way through the sample backlog tonight so why don’t we jump right in.

Back in 2019, Baker’s Bourbon transitioned from a Small Batch to a Single Barrel Product. I’ve always been a fan of Baker’s. In fact, I’d say that it was probably my favorite of the Small Batch Collection. And the new single barrel version continued that even though I don’t buy it often as Knob Creek is so much less expensive in my neck of the woods. So imagine my delight when Beam Suntory announced that they had released a Limited Edition version of Baker’s Bourbon. This one is aged 11 years, 8 months. Sounded pretty good to me.

Let’s see how it tastes though.

Baker’s Exclusive Selection

Purchase Price: This sample was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $99.99.

Price per Drink (50 ml): $6.67

Details: 11 years, 8 months old. 53.5% ABV.

Nose: Leather, cinnamon, red fruit, and oak.

Mouth: Spicy cinnamon, leather, brown sugar, red fruits, and oak.

Finish: Medium in heat and length. Lingering notes of cinnamon spice and oak.

Thoughts: As I said above, I'm a big fan of Baker's Bourbon. And this? Well, this is a very nice Baker's Selection. It hits all the notes I've always enjoyed in a pour of Baker's. It's sweet, spicy, and bold. If I knew a Baker's fan that I wanted to get a gift for, I can see myself seeking this out. For myself, the Standard Baker's Single Barrel release would be "good enough." Baker’s Exclusive Selection is really good, but I can't see myself paying the $40 premium for it unless it was a gift.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, posters, and more.