Jim Beam Small Batch Bourbons Basil Hayden Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey NV 750ml

Complex and balanced, this go-to Bourbon features vanilla aromatics with a touch of fresh apple. On the palate, it’s light at first, showing vanilla and honey, and winds into deeper, rounded notes of cocoa and hazelnut. Splash in ginger ale for a highball and sip all night long.

Interesting that the label says “Artfully Aged,” yet there’s no actual age statement. Lively nose, good rye snap and spice, a bit of mint and oaky edge. Not hot, well-behaved on the tongue, and happily gives back everything taken on the nose. Sweet, spicy, and easy to like, this is whiskey without flaw, well-done and tasty, if not overly ambitious or challenging.