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
Pat Evans is a writer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, focusing on food and beer, spirits, business, and sports. His full…
Pumpkin spice season is starting earlier than ever, DoorDash data shows
Pumpkin spice kicks off early, but pecan is the fastest-growing fall flavor
pumpkin spice latte

In time for National Coffee Month and the start of "pumpkin spice season", DoorDash just released new data from its Fall Flavor Trends report. The report, which examines fall ordering data, found that the demand for pumpkin spice is shifting earlier and earlier each year. In 2021, pumpkin spice cravings first emerged around the end of August (August 30), compared to August 19th in 2024 -- nearly two weeks earlier.

According to DoorDash, consumers are no longer waiting for the calendar or coffee chains to release their fall-flavored coffee favorites. Instead, they are taking matters into their own hands and ordering ingredients via DoorDash to make their own pumpkin spice lattes at home (think pumpkin purée, maple syrup, and cinnamon).

Read more
The rise of evening coffee: What’s behind the after-hours caffeine trend?
Coffee from morning pick-me-ups to evening wind-down
coffee

Although coffee was once considered a drink for only the mornings, experts are now seeing coffee migrate into the evening. As coffee becomes a 24-hour flavor, moving from morning pick-me-up to evening wind-down, coffee drinkers are looking for coffee as a comfort ritual throughout both day and night. But what's driving the evening coffee trend, and how are brands responding to the change in coffee drinking habits?

I chatted with Tom Baker, founder of Mr. Black coffee liqueur, to learn more about the shifts in when and how people are consuming coffee and what's driving the evening coffee trend.

Read more
7 smart tricks to beat a travel hangover before it starts
How I ditched the headache without ditching the fun
Raul Mercado drinking a cocktail on a boat in Mexico

Drinking just isn’t the free-for-all it used to be. And when you add travel to the equation, you’re dealing with a whole new set of issues — nagging cases of jet lag, dehydration, and an unbalanced diet to add to the headache. And yet, we go abroad to let go, and when in Rome, we must enjoy local libations. My thoughts? The best tips to avoid hangover woes aren’t something you do after the headache hits, but help you to prepare beforehand.

I’ve been full-time traveling for two years, and I must confess, I’m fond of my nightly wines, old fashions and local spirits. And since I often need to hit the road at the crack of dawn, I’ve been pressed to find the best solutions for nausea, headaches, and tiredness. 

Read more