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Basil Hayden’s vs Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel
Basil Hayden’s and Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 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 | Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 10 years |
| Proof | 80 proof (40% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +20 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$38 – $45 ~$14 less | ~$40 – $70 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Limited |
- Basil Hayden’s does 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.
Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Basil Hayden’s Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 3/8 oak: Basil Hayden’s 3 out of 10, Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 8 out of 10
heat 2/5 heat: Basil Hayden’s 2 out of 10, Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/5 nuttiness: Basil Hayden’s 3 out of 10, Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 5 out of 10
sweetness 5/6 sweetness: Basil Hayden’s 5 out of 10, Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 6 out of 10
spice 6/5 spice: Basil Hayden’s 6 out of 10, Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 5 out of 10
fruit 5/4 fruit: Basil Hayden’s 5 out of 10, Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 4 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.
- Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel: A ten-year bonded single barrel, which is a specification almost nothing else on the shelf matches. Dry and oak-forward with real age showing, though barrel variation means bottles differ more than most.
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 Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel if you want a bonded, ten-year single barrel with genuine age at a sane price with more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, highball (Basil Hayden’s); neat, rocks (Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel).