Basil Hayden Two By Two Rye Whiskey Review

By Michael Cervin

Grade: C

Whiskey blends are nothing new, but in an effort to create something new-ish, Basil Hayden launched their Two By Two Rye in June 2018. This is a somewhat creative blend of two aged Kentucky whiskeys, blended with two aged Kentucky ryes.

To be sure, this is not a new concept; it’s been done before (Wild Turkey and High West have both released their own versions), but it is still somewhat novel in that the practice isn’t widespread. THat is despite this being the second blended outing for Basil Hayden, following their 2017 Dark Rye, which blended Canadian and Kentucky ryes with “a touch of port” wine from California. Basil Hayden does not disclose their specific mash bill on the Two By Two, however what they do communicate is that this is a blending of two Kentucky bourbons; one of which is six years old, the other is 13 years old. It then adds two Kentucky ryes; one at five years old and the other seven. *

The Whiskey
Color: Pale golden with amber hints.

Nose: Immediate toffee, honeysuckle, amber and butterscotch, with minimal rye notes.

Palate: Potent spice and pepper with honeysuckle, touches of apricot and Werther’s Original candies fill out the whole. In the mid palate there’s a distinct pear-resin note. This hits the palate hard and fast from the start, and then softens slightly in the mid palate, but ends rather rough with a significant burn. It is, in effect, not a delicate dram, but a bold attack from the get-go. And some may like that approach. The problem with that however is there is little place else to go; nuance and delicacy are lost. By the third sip everything comes in line as your palate readjusts and the approach is much better, but that means your first two sips will be akin to a juggernaut that lacks distinct flavors. The spicy caramel finish gets better, but this is nonetheless an aggressive rye, one that does not play well with others, meaning unless you’ve got a cigar on hand, food will be affected. This really needs to be cut with either ice or water. It makes one wonder if the concept of the blend was thought out in advance, or if it just seemed to be a cool, novel idea they could get away with. Either way what was done on paper doesn’t translate significantly to the bottle.

The Price
A bottle of this Basil Hayden runs $45, and it’s on limited availability.

* Note: The Whiskey Reviewer reached out to Basil Hayden to clarify their specific age statements and mash bill, but they did not respond.