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Basil Hayden’s vs New Riff Single Barrel
Basil Hayden’s and New Riff Single Barrel sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus a new-wave, rye-forward craft style.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Basil Hayden’s | New Riff Single Barrel |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 63% corn, 27% rye, 10% malted barley | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 5 years |
| Proof | 80 proof (40% ABV) | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) +25 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$38 – $45 ~$21 less | ~$55 – $70 |
- 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.
New Riff Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Basil Hayden’s New Riff Single Barrel
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
heat 2/7 heat: Basil Hayden’s 2 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10
spice 6/9 spice: Basil Hayden’s 6 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10
oak 3/6 oak: Basil Hayden’s 3 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10
sweetness 5/4 sweetness: Basil Hayden’s 5 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10
fruit 5/5 fruit: Basil Hayden’s 5 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Basil Hayden’s 3 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
These two land very differently on the palate for heat.
- 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.
- New Riff Single Barrel: The single-barrel expression of New Riff's 30% rye mash, non-chill-filtered and at higher proof than the bonded version. As dry and peppery as bourbon gets before it stops being bourbon.
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 New Riff Single Barrel if you want the most aggressively spice-driven bourbon in this list, with single-barrel variation on top with significantly more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, highball (Basil Hayden’s); neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel).