Santa, please put this in my stocking. Thanks.
I’ve been sipping on a small sample of the new Basil Hayden‘s Dark Rye over the past few days, and I think it’s absolutely delicious — which surprises me a bit, since the regular Basil Hayden is a bit too spicy for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love the stuff, but if I had to choose between a sweeter bourbon or a spicier one, I’d go sweet all the way.
Before I get to the tasting notes, a little about what’s going into this new product. It blends Kentucky straight rye whiskey with Canadian rye whiskey and adds a splash of California port.
Just reading that description would make my guard come up — can Kentucky whiskey be harmoniously blended with Canadian whiskey? And a port finish? Hmm …
But, I swear to you, it is absolutely fabulous and reminds me of a Snickerdoodle cookie. Somehow there are cinnamon notes in there, sprinkled in with a tad bit of baking spices. And there is — magically — an undertone of sweetness I gleefully detect.
And look at the color of that juice — dark, rich amber! Makes my mouth water just glancing at the picture.
Each night I keep going back to it, thinking I’ve gone mad and the next sip will taste like regular Basil Hayden, and each time I am surprised by the whiskey’s nuances. At a suggested retail price of $39.99, I’m adding a bottle of this to my collection on my next trip to the liquor store.
Where does one find this stuff? I’ve been to three different liquor stores. in the Upper Highlands with no luck.
Unfortunately it’s a limited release, but it should keep trickling out into January and February hopefully. A friend of mine found it at a liquor store in Southern Indiana. Sometimes they’ll keep it behind the counter, so maybe ask just to be sure. I saw it at Kroger once, too, on Goss. It just goes quickly.
Thanks.