Basil Hayden Subtle Smoke Bourbon Review
Explore our review of Basil Hayden Subtle Smoke, a small batch bourbon with gentle smoke notes, crafted to be enjoyed around a campfire.
Basil Hayden Subtle Smoke tells stories. At least, the box it comes in does. While most will adorn the whiskey shelf sans the full-blown kit mine came with–including a round ice mould, a small vessel of orange liqueur, a recipe card for what an old fashioned with a fancier title, bitters, a golden chalice-like jigger, and some notes about what a privilege it is to have this bottle in your possession–the label itself has a lot to say.
Besides its name, it tells you where it was distilled & bottled in (Clermont & Frankfort, KY, respectfully), the batch size (small), the notes (hickory, caramel, velvety mouthfeel), the things it elevates (your campfire), and the typical braggadocio that comes with a product that has not yet earned its reputation. Despite all that, there is one note that stands out more than any other: Subtle.
Oak leaves in autumn (#E06F20, to be exact)
The nose after resting provides a decent bouquet, remaining floral and sweet when you breathe it in. Then the sweet gives a corn syrup odor, almost honey-like but not quite. You know what I don’t smell? Smoke–even subtly.
Being only 80 proof (I know, high bar these days for American whiskey), there is difficulty to pinpoint the strongest flavor. For the first time, you can in fact taste the smoke they mention, and I daresay the hickory note they divulge on the label does come in as a handy describer, as one who’s stood next to more than a few barbecue smokers filled with hickory in his life. But pending that, the most prominent flavor is… well, water. This tastes like I took a more flavorful bourbon, added a couple ice cubes, and forgot about it for an hour near the campfire.
Most Basil Haydens for me end a tad bitter, and this is no exception. The bitterness, however, seems to be the only thing notable on the finish, as the rest of the flavor dies off rather abruptly. I almost catch a sweet, pine-like sensation, but it dissipates faster than I can identify it (as it stands, I’m on my fourth sip just to try to properly describe the flavor).
“Hickory, caramel, velvety mouthfeel, with a soft smokiness” is what I’m meant to extract from this, according to the very busy label. Honestly, I can attest that at least half of that is true–though hardly enough to feel like they can describe them as fully-formed flavors. With a less-than-enthusiastic finish and a nose that defies its smoky description (especially given the thick, smoke-filled label design and the bottle’s own name), ultimately this is just “fine”. Basil Hayden lovers will find themselves amenable to making it a regular, but at $50 a bottle, there’s a few other options in the brand’s quiver they may sutbly tip their tumbler toward first.
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