Basil Hayden's
Clermont, Kentucky
Beam's high-rye mashbill, the same recipe as Old Grand-Dad, bottled at 80 proof. The rye is high but the strength is the legal minimum, so the pour is lighter than its recipe suggests. A separate 10 year bottling exists at the same 40% and is not this product.
- Aging
- New charred oak, no age statement (dropped the 8 year statement in 2014)
- Mashbill
- Corn 63%Rye 27%Malted barley 10%
- Grains
- corn, rye, malted barley
- Congeners
- Moderate
- Histamines
- Moderate
- Polyphenols
- Moderate
- Sulfites
- Very Low
- Tannins
- Moderate
- Sugar
- Low
- Additives
- Very Low
- Calories
- 98
- Sugar
- 0g
14g ethanol at 40% ABV. No sugar, so every calorie here is alcohol.
In its favor
- ✓80 proof means a smaller ethanol dose per pour
- ✓No additives permitted in bourbon
What to watch
- !High-rye mash
- !No age statement, so barrel time is not stated
Factor by factor
Congeners Moderate ▾
Byproducts of fermentation (methanol, acetaldehyde, fusel alcohols). Strongly linked to hangover severity; darker, less-distilled spirits carry more.
Histamines Moderate ▾
Produced by bacteria during fermentation/aging. Trigger flushing, headaches, congestion in sensitive drinkers. High in red wine, beer, aged spirits.
Polyphenols Moderate ▾
Plant compounds with antioxidant activity. Slightly protective at low doses but at high concentrations may worsen hangover via tannin/quercetin reactions.
Sulfites Very Low ▾
Preservatives (SO₂) added to wine and some beers. Common trigger of headaches, asthma, and allergic-type reactions.
Tannins Moderate ▾
Astringent polyphenols from skins, seeds, barrels. Bind proteins, slow alcohol clearance, and aggravate dehydration-style symptoms.
Sugar Low ▾
Residual sugar amplifies hangover via blood-sugar swings and dehydration. Liqueurs and cocktails are the main offenders.
Additives Very Low ▾
Colorants, flavorings, glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbates. Cheap spirits and ready-to-drinks often hide these in trade-secret formulas.
Basil Hayden’s uses the 63% corn, 27% rye mashbill that also runs Old Grand-Dad, then bottles it at the 80 proof minimum. That is the useful comparison: the same recipe lands lighter on this site than Old Grand-Dad Bonded (5 against 7) because proof, not grain, sets the size of the dose.
Basil Hayden's questions
How many calories are in a shot of Basil Hayden's? ▾
About 98 calories in a 1.5oz shot at 40% ABV. All of them come from the alcohol, since there is no sugar.
Does Basil Hayden's have sugar? ▾
No. Basil Hayden's has 0g of sugar per 1.5oz serving.
Is Basil Hayden's gluten-free? ▾
Not by label. Basil Hayden's is distilled from rye and barley, so US rules bar it from claiming gluten-free. Distillation does remove the gluten protein, and the Celiac Disease Foundation considers distilled spirits safe for most coeliacs. If you would rather avoid the question, pick a spirit distilled from corn, potato, grape or agave.
What is Basil Hayden's made from? ▾
Basil Hayden's is made from corn, rye, malted barley, with a mashbill of 63% corn, 27% rye, 10% malted barley.
What proof is Basil Hayden's? ▾
Basil Hayden's is 80 proof, which is 40% alcohol by volume.
Does Basil Hayden's give you a bad hangover? ▾
Basil Hayden's scores 5/10 on the SpiritFacts Hangover Index, against 7/10 for bourbon overall. It is low on every hangover factor we track, so most of the morning after comes down to how much ethanol you drink.
Is Basil Hayden's vegan? ▾
Yes. Basil Hayden's is listed as vegan, with no animal-derived ingredients or fining agents.