Average

Basil Hayden’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
40% ABV/80 Proof
$30 to $40
Widely Available

What the Distillery Says:
Basil Hayden’s is unequalled in that it utilizes twice as much rye in it as the other bourbons in the Collection. Enriched by a hint of peppermint, it impresses with notes of pepper balanced by slight citrus overtones, and a spicy, warming finish. Aged eight years at a relatively mild 80 proof, Basil Hayden’s has a broad appeal and is equally enjoyable alone or in cocktails such as a Juicy Basil and Basil Bubbly.

Age: 8 years
Proof: 80
Color: Golden amber
Aroma: Spice, tea, hint of peppermint
Taste: Spicy, peppery, honey, light-bodied, gentle bite
Finish: Dry, clean, brief

What Richard Says:
Nose: Herbal, floral, and that signature Old Grand Dad black tea note.
Palate: Vanilla, and that OGD rye spice note but in this it is lighter and cleaner.
Finish: Very dry. I’m talking really dry. Dry like like you want some water or a soda afterward.
Comments: Basil Hayden’s seems to be pretty popular with those new to bourbon. It’s light and easy to drink. This was my wife’s first “favorite bourbon” when I first got her into whiskey. I’m not saying it’s a woman’s bourbon anything like that. However, I do think that it’s not worth twice the money to get this over OGD Bottled In Bond. They put another year or two on the age and watered it down to 40% ABV. It’s still Old Grand Dad, just with a heftier price tag.
Rating: Average

Old Grand-Dad 114 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
57% ABV/114 Proof
$25
Widely Available

What the Distillery Says:
Old Grand-Dad was a distiller named Basil Hayden who made his name by distilling a bourbon whiskey made with a higher percentage of rye. Basil Hayden passed along the art of distilling to his son and then, in turn, to his grandson. It was the third generation distiller, Colonel R.B. Hayden, who honored his grandfather by naming his justly famed
whiskey “Old Grand-Dad.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Alcohol with a hint of wood. Water opens up the nose to black tea notes and reminds me of my grandmother’s sweet tea right before the sugar goes in.
Palate: More viscous than other OGD versions and it comes through all rye heat. Water opens up more corn notes and a little sweetness.
Finish: Surprisingly smooth on the finish even at bottle strength. Rye and oak dominate. The finish on this one doesn’t hold up very well to water. It just disintegrates.
Comments: You pay more for the 114 and you get more alcohol for your money. Beyond that I don’t find much in OGD 114 to make me want to pick it over the Bottled In Bond version.
Rating: Average

Big Bottom Port Cask Finished Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 2 Years
45.5% ABV/91 Proof
$34.99
Available in stores in Oregon and soon to be Georgia, online in additional states

What the Distillery/Bottler Says:
It needed to be a port cask, but not just from any port – a 10 year old Tawny Port from St. Helena, California. With the maturity of the port cask, it needed something that it could tame and compliment, not complicate. A youthful bourbon would suit it well.

Aged 2 years in charred new white oak barrels, this Straight Bourbon whiskey took a few lessons from the mature port cask and the result – a seamless match on the palate creating a long, pleasurable finish.

Non-chilled filtered and proofed at 91°, this bourbon consists of 60% corn, 4% malted barley and 36% rye. This limited production finished bourbon only comes around once in a while. So savor every pour, since it may be a while before you see it again.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Sweet with a meaty/savory kind of note.
Palate: Dark (like 70% cacao) chocolate and dried fruit. The sweeter port notes come through and make the palate very mellow. That rye spice hide more in the background.
Finish: Smooth with just a bit of rye and oak on the finish. Surprisingly much smoother than the standard 3 year old expression.
Comments: The port finishing actually works pretty well here. This is a noticeable improvement over the 3 year old despite being younger. Still, $35 for two year old whiskey is a hard pill to swallow. The flavor is promising but there are still a number of better values out there for the same, or less money.
Rating: Average

We would like to thank Ted Pappas for providing us with review samples.

Wild Turkey 81 Straight Bourbon Whiskey
40.5% ABV
$20
Available: Throughout the US

What the distillery says (Matt’s interpretation of the press release):
Wild Turkey 81 is Eddie Russell’s first solo project for the distillery. After cutting his teeth working with his father on the Russell’s Reserve bottlings (and one could assume the rest of the Wild Turkey portfolio), Eddie comes out of the gate with a whiskey specifically designed for cocktails. With WT 81, Eddie hopes to hit the niche that finds Wild Turkey 101 a bit too harsh and other whiskeys too wimpy for mixed drinks. He uses the classic Wild Turkey high-rye mash with heavily charred barrels and blends whiskeys ranging from 6-8 years of age. The press release has this to say about the WT 81:

The result is a whiskey with a deep, rich amber color, and a nose full of fruit, butterscotch, toffee and toasted oak. On the tongue, you discover cigar-box sweetness, caramel, vanilla and pear, with a long finish of rich spice notes and hints of toast.

What Matt says:
Nose: Citrus, mint, caramel, oak, and shellac
Palate: A little sharp, acidic and warm, mint and caramel, rye spice and a little char
Finish: Clean and malty with a lingering sweetness
Comments: A little water mellows the sharpness on the palate, but (as expected) this whiskey really shines in a cocktail. With all the natural mint flavors, I decided to throw together a quick Mint Julep. To my palate, Eddie Russell reached his goal here. I’m not a big fan of Wild Turkey in general (with the exceptions of Kentucky Spirit and certain bottlings of Russell’s Reserve), but there is a good balance of rye spice, caramel sweetness, proof and char to the 81. Plus, it retails for $19.99. You can’t really beat that.

Special thanks to Brian Roundy at The Thomas Collective for the generous sample.

Big Bottom American Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 3 Years
45.5% ABV/91 Proof
$27.99
Available in stores in Oregon and soon to be Georgia, online in additional states

What the Distillery/Bottler Says:
Aged in new white oak casks and proofed at 91°, our American Straight Bourbon Whiskey consists of 36% rye. The complexity of the whiskey contains spicy undertones of cloves and allspice entwined with honeysuckle. The pleasing balances of spice create a long smooth finish.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Vanilla, caramel, fresh cut wood, a little floral note here and there.
Palate: On the tongue it’s young but relatively smooth. Fruity sweetness followed by rye spice.
Finish: Very hot on the finish. Even with a good measure of water it’s still a hot one.
Comments: For three year old bourbon this was a lot better than I expected. Ted and company source their whiskey from an undisclosed supplier (I asked but no dice) and while it’s pretty average on the entire bourbon spectrum, I think they chose their barrels very well. This is really good for a young bourbon. With a few more years on it I think it could really stand out.
Rating: Average

We would like to thank Ted Pappas for providing us with review samples.