Skip to main content

Ready For Some Arr & R? Basil Hayden Releases Caribbean Reserve Rye

Basil Hayden is taking its fans on a Caribbean journey with a new rye whiskey expression, Caribbean Reserve Rye.

The new expression blends two rye whiskies together before finishing it in black strap rum. Basil Hayden hopes the expression will help push the boundaries between the two categories and offers whiskey drinkers a fun new drink to play with this summer.

Recommended Videos

“With the release of Caribbean Reserve Rye, we wanted to give our fans a fun whiskey expression that you can bring out and share during warmer weather occasions, whether that’s mixing it up at an outdoor barbecue or gifting it for a housewarming celebration,” said Rob Mason, Beam Suntory vice president of marketing, whiskey.

“As a brand that has always broken traditional whiskey expectations, we’re excited to help our fans discover new, interesting ways to enjoy the rye category, and Caribbean Reserve Rye does just that.”

Caribbean Reserve Rye
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Basil Hayden Caribbean Reserve Rye is a blend of an 8-year-old Kentucky straight rye whiskey with a 4-year-old Canadian Rye Whisky, leading to a layered blended whiskey with spice, oak, and vanilla. The addition of black strap rum adds the characteristic sweet notes of brown sugar and molasses to the finished product.

With the spice of rye and the sweetness of rum, the balance is sure to be approachable for drinkers of both spirits. Basil Hayden suggests sipping neat, on the rocks, or in a summer cocktail, likely working well in both rum and whiskey drinks.

The new expression builds on the brand’s permanent Basil Hayden Dark Rye and is the third in a line of limited-edition rye whiskies released, led by Basil Hayden’s Rye Whiskey and Basil Hayden’s Two by Two Rye Whiskey. Dark Rye is the Kentucky rye blended with Canadian rye, finished with a “touch of California port.” Two by Two is a blend of approximately 20% bourbon and 80% rye.

Basil Hayden originally released Basil Hayden Rye Whiskey in 2017, and was not a far stretch for the bourbon distiller with an already high rye mash bill.

The Caribbean Reserve Rye is available nationwide the U.S., at a suggested retail price of $45.

Pat Evans
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Pat Evans is a writer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, focusing on food and beer, spirits, business, and sports. His full…
Flying with beer? Here’s how to pack alcohol in your luggage
Learn how to do this right with this packing guide
Packing a suitcase

If you're anything like me and can’t resist picking up a few bottles of that amazing local wine or craft beer while you’re traveling, you’ve probably faced that moment of panic when it’s time to pack. Maybe you went a little overboard at a vineyard in Napa or filled half your suitcase with IPAs from a cool little brewery you stumbled upon. No judgment -- been there, done that. Honestly, local beer and wine make some of the best souvenirs (and gifts, if you don’t end up keeping them for yourself). Here's the big question, though. Can you bring alcohol on a plane?

The short answer is yes. Like with anything else in life, there are rules, and it's important to know them before you head to the airport, including how much and what you can bring. If you're flying with beer or wine, it's also essential to know how to pack the alcohol for the flight. There’s nothing worse than a bottle of red wine breaking in your suitcase and staining everything, or a broken beer bottle making your luggage smell like yeast right before a long-haul flight. With a few smart packing decisions, your beer or wine will be safely waiting for you at the baggage carousel, wherever your final destination may be.

Read more
Stellum Spirits and Star Trek Spirits are partnering for an out-of-this world duo of whiskeys
You'll feel like Captain Kirk when you crack open one of these limited-edition Star Trek whiskeys
Star Trek Spirits

'Star Trek' was known "to boldly go where no man has gone before." Apparently, instead of traveling to planets in far-off solar systems, they'll fly the USS Enterprise into the whiskey world instead. That's because Star Trek Spirits, the official spirits brand of the Star Trek franchise, is collaborating with Stellum Spirits to launch two limited-edition whiskeys.

Star Trek Spirits X Stellum Spirits Whiskey Collab 

Read more
Chocolate-covered espresso beans: The ultimate combination of sweet and bitter
A coffee lover's perfect snack
chocolate espresso

Chocolate and coffee go together like peanut butter and jelly or wine and cheese. It just makes sense. Despite these commonly known food pairings, many chocolate and coffee lovers have forgotten the ultimate snack: chocolate-covered espresso beans. Many of us get stuck in our food "hyper fixations," as I call them, where we tend to gravitate toward the same foods or snacks until they're replaced with a new option.

As it turns out, this snack is just as delicious as I remembered them. No matter how long it's been since you've snacked on them, consider this your reminder to fall in love with chocolate covered espresso beans all over again.
The appeal of chocolate covered espresso beans

Read more