Basil Hayden Subtle Smoke

This new release snuck up on me. I maybe saw one article on it; but I lost track of it and didn’t anticipate the release like I did for the Toast release. I’m not sure if I was burned by the taste of Toast or just enjoying a great summer – likely a bit of both. Nevertheless, when I was on vacation, I saw it and decided to grab a bottle.

Look: Darker than standard Basil Hayden but nearly as dark as the dark rye. Think warm umber.

Nose; I don’t pick up on the smoke immediately. I get alcohol with the first sniff of the first pour. The alcohol doesn’t strike the nose in subsequent pours. I know this is ‘Subtle Smoke’ but I can’t smell it and I know it’s there. I get a lot of vanilla and maybe some toffee, maybe.

Pour: This one has a nice set of legs. At 80 proof, which is my sweet spot, it coats the glass nicely.

Taste: Interesting. This one needed air for me. First sip of the first pour I tasted a lot of alcohol. Subsequent pours the alcohol isn’t forward in the sip. It has a bit of a spicy finish, kind of like rye, which I love. So I like it. The smoke is still subtle and I taste it most during the middle of my sip – not initially and not on the finish.

Overall, I like it. I’m glad I tried it. I won’t buy it again because even with the word subtle in the name, I expected to taste more.

Cheers,  

~Kimberly Elise  
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