Compare
Basil Hayden’s vs Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish
Basil Hayden’s and Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus a sourced, classically built blend.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Basil Hayden’s | Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 63% corn, 27% rye, 10% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 80 proof (40% ABV) | 91.4 proof (45.7% ABV) +11 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$38 – $45 ~$69 less | ~$90 – $130 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Limited |
- Basil Hayden’s and Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish do not publish an official mash bill.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.
Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Basil Hayden’s Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 3/8 oak: Basil Hayden’s 3 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 8 out of 10
sweetness 5/8 sweetness: Basil Hayden’s 5 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 8 out of 10
spice 6/4 spice: Basil Hayden’s 6 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 4 out of 10
heat 2/4 heat: Basil Hayden’s 2 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 4 out of 10
nuttiness 3/4 nuttiness: Basil Hayden’s 3 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 4 out of 10
fruit 5/5 fruit: Basil Hayden’s 5 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 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.
- Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish: The standard Michter's bourbon given a second toasted barrel, which adds sweetness and wood to an already polished pour. Genuinely good, though the price has drifted well past what the liquid alone justifies.
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 significantly lower price point.
- Go with Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish if you want the smoothest, most polished toasted-barrel pour here and price is not the deciding factor with more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, highball (Basil Hayden’s); neat (Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish).