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Basil Hayden’s vs E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch
Basil Hayden’s and E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus an old-guard, classically built classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Basil Hayden’s | E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 63% corn, 27% rye, 10% malted barley | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 80 proof (40% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +20 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$38 – $45 ~$26 less | ~$45 – $90 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Allocated |
- Basil Hayden’s and E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch do not publish an official mash bill.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
Basil Hayden’s
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Basil Hayden’s E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 3/7 oak: Basil Hayden’s 3 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 7 out of 10
heat 2/5 heat: Basil Hayden’s 2 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 5 out of 10
sweetness 5/6 sweetness: Basil Hayden’s 5 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 6 out of 10
spice 6/5 spice: Basil Hayden’s 6 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/4 nuttiness: Basil Hayden’s 3 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 4 out of 10
fruit 5/5 fruit: Basil Hayden’s 5 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- 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.
- E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch: Bottled-in-bond from the same low-rye Buffalo Trace recipe, and the extra 10 proof over standard BT gives it noticeably more grip. Butterscotch and tobacco with a long, drying finish that outlasts most bottles near its shelf price.
Which One Should You Choose?
- 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.
- Go with E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch if you want the Buffalo Trace house profile with real structure and a bonded 100-proof backbone.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, highball (Basil Hayden’s); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch).