Caramel | Lemon peel | Honey | Cinnamon sugar | Vanilla wafer

Toffee | Sweet rye grain | Lemon meringue | Browned butter

Iced tea | Light cinnamon | Lemon water | Light malt | Light rye spice

Basil Hayden Golden Rye is a rebrand of Jim Beam’s Basil Hayden Malted Rye, which launched in the fourth quarter of 2023. Although malted ryes have become more common, they remain a very niche style of rye, which already trails behind bourbon in popularity. It was rather bold of Jim Beam to offer a 100% malted rye product when they did. It was forward-thinking, and they were perhaps trying to get ahead of a trend that likely didn’t develop as strongly as they hoped. But malted rye lovers can hang tight, because the rebrand is in name only, and Basil Hayden Golden Rye is still made with 100% malted rye and comes with a reduced price.  

The flavors of Basil Hayden Golden Rye closely mimic the Malted Rye release that came before it, with minor variations. The aroma features caramel, lemon peel, honey, cinnamon sugar, and vanilla wafer notes up front. The palate puts toffee front and center with sweet rye grain, lemon meringue, and brown butter following close behind. The finish adds an iced tea note, with light cinnamon, lemon water, light malt, and a lingering light rye-spice pop.

The flavors of Basil Hayden Golden Rye are light and approachable. My original bottle of Malted Rye offers more flavor distinction than the Golden Rye does, but it's also been open for over 2 years. The deepening of flavor might have come with time, as my original critique of Malted Rye’s flavors as “so subdued they run dangerously close to being muddled together, losing all of their goodwill” also holds true for Golden Rye.

As is always the case with Basil Hayden’s 80 proof whiskeys, they are exceptionally light. This makes them approachable, but they also feel like they can be pushed over by a gentle breeze. Golden Rye’s flavor profile remains sweet and a touch citrusy, and overall, it works. But with far more interesting malted rye offerings from New Riff and especially Old Pertreo, Basil Hayden works more as a gateway malted rye than one you settle down with long-term.