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Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series vs Basil Hayden’s
Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series and Basil Hayden’s sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a new-wave, classically built craft style versus an old-guard, rye-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series | Basil Hayden’s |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | 63% corn, 27% rye, 10% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 98.9 proof (49.5% ABV) +19 proof | 80 proof (40% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$38 – $45 ~$21 less |
- Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series and Basil Hayden’s do not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Basil Hayden’s
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series Basil Hayden’s
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 6/3 oak: Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series 6 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 3 out of 10
heat 5/2 heat: Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series 5 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 2 out of 10
sweetness 7/5 sweetness: Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series 7 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 5 out of 10
spice 5/6 spice: Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series 5 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 6 out of 10
fruit 6/5 fruit: Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series 6 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series 3 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Barrel influence is the main separator.
- Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series: A blend of Bardstown's own young distillate with older sourced Kentucky whiskey, which is exactly what the name describes. Polished and fruit-leaning, and a clear demonstration that the blending is the skill on show.
- 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 Fusion Series if you want a well-built modern blend that shows what careful blending does rather than what age alone does with more proof behind it.
- 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 lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series); neat, rocks, highball (Basil Hayden’s).