Personally I love Basil Hayden. It is softer on the palette mixed with Coke with a strong caramel taste but I think it's an elegant and sophisticated palette. Not for everyone perhaps but I think the flavour profile is delicious. By contrast I've found a few highly rated bourbons boring and disappointing mixed with Coke which is the only way I drink bourbon. Namely Knob Creek, Willet pot, the standard Blanton's and Weller Reserve. I suspect the glowing reviews for all are based on their being drunk as a sipping bourbon on ice but I found all four boring mixed with Coke. I do like a good, strong, classic bourbon taste as well such as Russel's Reserve which I think is fantastic and by far one of the best within the price range but so long as you have a taste for a softer, more sophisticated pallette mixed with Coke that is unusual for a bourbon, you may really like Basil Hayden.