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Maker's Mark vs Basil Hayden’s
Comparing Maker's Mark and Basil Hayden’s reveals a matchup between a traditional, wheated Kentucky staple and a traditional, spice-driven Kentucky staple.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Maker's Mark | Basil Hayden’s |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley | 63% corn, 27% rye, 10% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) +10 proof | 80 proof (40% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$25 – $32 ~$13 less | ~$38 – $45 |
- 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
Maker's Mark
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Basil Hayden’s
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Maker's Mark Basil Hayden’s
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 2/6 spice: Maker's Mark 2 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 6 out of 10
sweetness 8/5 sweetness: Maker's Mark 8 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 5 out of 10
oak 4/3 oak: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 3 out of 10
fruit 4/5 fruit: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 5 out of 10
heat 3/2 heat: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 2 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- Maker's Mark: The bottle that made wheated bourbon mainstream. Soft, sweet, and deliberately low on spice and oak, with baked bread and honey doing most of the work. Consistency is its real feature.
- 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 Maker's Mark if you want a reliably sweet, low-spice wheater that is easy to find and easy to drink at a lower price point.
- 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.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark); neat, rocks, highball (Basil Hayden’s).