Compare
Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 vs Basil Hayden’s
Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 and Basil Hayden’s sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a blender-built, classically built bottling versus an old-guard, rye-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 | Basil Hayden’s |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | 63% corn, 27% rye, 10% malted barley |
| Age | 8 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 110.8 proof (55.4% ABV) +31 proof | 80 proof (40% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$130 – $150 | ~$38 – $45 ~$99 less |
| Availability | Limited | Widely available easier to find |
- Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 and Basil Hayden’s do not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Basil Hayden’s
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 Basil Hayden’s
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 7/3 oak: Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 7 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 3 out of 10
heat 6/2 heat: Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 6 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 2 out of 10
sweetness 8/5 sweetness: Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 8 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 5 out of 10
fruit 8/5 fruit: Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 8 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 5 out of 10
spice 6/6 spice: Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 6 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 6 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 3 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13: Bardstown's annual blend of older sourced bourbons. Rich and dessert-like, with creme brulee, toffee and dark fruit over peppery oak.
- Basil Hayden’s: Built on the high-rye Old Grand-Dad mash but bottled at just 80 proof, which makes it the lightest thing in the Beam range by a distance. Peppery and herbal, but very thin — the price reflects the packaging more than the liquid.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 if you want a rich, dessert-like annual blend of older Kentucky bourbons with significantly more proof behind it and with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
- Go with Basil Hayden’s if you want an unusually light, peppery, low-proof pour and you do not want any weight in the glass at a significantly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat (Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13); neat, rocks, highball (Basil Hayden’s).