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Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend vs Basil Hayden’s
Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend and Basil Hayden’s sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a blender-built, rye-forward bottling versus an old-guard, rye-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend | Basil Hayden’s |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | 63% corn, 27% rye, 10% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 101 proof (50.5% ABV) +21 proof | 80 proof (40% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$150 – $180 | ~$38 – $45 ~$124 less |
| Availability | Limited | Widely available easier to find |
- Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend and Basil Hayden’s do not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Basil Hayden’s
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend Basil Hayden’s
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 7/3 oak: Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend 7 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 3 out of 10
fruit 9/5 fruit: Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend 9 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 5 out of 10
sweetness 8/5 sweetness: Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend 8 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 5 out of 10
heat 5/2 heat: Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend 5 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 2 out of 10
nuttiness 5/3 nuttiness: Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend 5 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 3 out of 10
spice 6/6 spice: Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend 6 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 6 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend: Older sourced bourbon finished in sherry, Cognac and then Armagnac casks. Dense dried fruit, fig and orange over cigar leaf and charred oak.
- 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 Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend if you want a fruit-packed, multi-cask-finished bourbon built to go with a cigar.
- 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.
Best enjoyed neat (Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend); neat, rocks, highball (Basil Hayden’s).