Basil Hayden's Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (37.5cl, 40%)

This is a Kentucky straight bourbon bottled at 40% ABV by James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont. It belongs to Jim Beam's Small Batch Collection and is its lighter-bodied member, made from a high-rye mash of 63% corn, 27% rye and 10% malted barley. Booker Noe created it in 1992 and named it after Basil Hayden Sr., a Maryland rye farmer who became a whiskey pioneer in Kentucky. The bottle still wears a metal belt, a nod to barrel hoops. The nose is charred oak, vanilla, caramel and dried fruit. The palate adds brown sugar and a touch of black pepper. The finish is lingering charred oak with a little dried fruit.