Rhetoric 20 Year Old Bourbon Review

Rhetoric is the third release in Diageo’s Orphan Barrel lineup of whiskies.  The first two releases, 26 year Old Blowhard and 20 year Barterhouse, were nice whiskies albeit a bit on the expensive side.  Rhetoric is also a 20 year old straight bourbon whiskey.  It was most probably distilled at the new Bernheim distillery, and aged at a Stizel-Weller warehouse.   It seems to be the same mashbill as Barterhouse, but aged in a different part of the warehouse.  What differentiates Rhetoric from its siblings is Diageo will continue to age the bourbon, releasing it once a year until it reaches a 25 year maturation point.  So, this year we have a 20 year old bourbon.  Next year we’ll have a 21 year old bourbon.  This continues until we get a 25 year old Rhetoric bourbon in 2019.

Rhetoric_Hi-Res Bottle Shot

(Disclaimer:  I received a small sample of Rhetoric from Diageo.)  I find the nose on Rhetoric similar to Barterhouse.  Some oak, which is expected given its age.  There was also some dried fruit (think light fruit cake) and a little bit of caramel.  Taste-wise, I found this a bit creamier…more viscous than Barterhouse.  The oak is there, but it’s not as in your face.  There’s a bit of caramel too.   The finish is quick, dry, and slightly bittersweet.

Overall, this is my favorite of the three bourbons in the Orphan Barrel series.  Rhetoric is 90 proof and will run you about $100.  It’s $15 more expensive than Barterhouse, yet both are 20 year old bourbons.  I liked Barterhouse enough to buy myself a bottle after I reviewed it.  Part of me wishes I would have waited to try Rhetoric first.  To me, the difference in taste is worth the extra $15… that’s considering you don’t mind paying   a C-Note for a bottle of bourbon.  It holds its flavors together better than Barterhouse.  Also, progressively aging and releasing this bourbon makes for an interesting experiment.

Well aged.

8.5/10

George Dickel No. 8 Tennessee Whisky Review

Wrapping up the short series on Tennessee whiskey is George Dickel’s entry level No. 8 Tennessee Whisky.   How does it hold up to their slightly older No. 12 or Barrel Select?  (Thanks to Taylor Strategy for the sample.)

George Dickel No. 8

There’s some light caramel and very slight oak on the nose.  Taste-wise there’s some slight burn on entry, but nothing too harsh.  I get some caramel and a hint of vanilla and some slight oak.  Not a complex whisky.  Also, this isn’t as sweet as other Dickel whiskies.  There is a pleasant lightness to this one though.  I sampled this during a Louisiana summer, so the lightness was nice.  The finish was pretty quick, and kind of on the dry side.  As with most of the Tennessee whiskies I sampled in the series, the charcoal filtration that was used mellowed this one pretty well.

I enjoyed George Dickel’s other two Tennessee whisky entries more than this, especially their Barrel Select.   That one had more happening in the glass flavor-wise.  At 80 proof though, it’s not a bad starter whisky or “everyday sip,” especially at it’s $16 price tag.  There’s better out there in the Under $20 category, like Four Roses Yellow Label, but George Dickel No. 8 will do in a pinch.

7/10

George Dickel No. 12 Tennessee Whisky Review

Next in our Tennessee Whiskey series is George Dickel No. 12.  This is the middle of the pack for them.  It comes in at 90 proof and is blended with “older” whiskies.  There’s no age statement on this one.  So, how does this one fare?  (Review sample provided by Taylor Strategy)

George Dickel No. 12

On the nose I get some oak, corn and vanilla.  Whatever older whiskies have been blended with this contribute to the oakiness.  Of course I still get some caramel sweetness and a little spice.  It’s nice.  Especially at 90 proof.  I’m not getting some of the harshness I expected from a 90 proof whisky.  The medium finish comes across as slightly sweet and ever-so-slightly smoky.

I normally first sample whiskey neat. For some reason, I decided to pour my first sample over ice.  I noticed that after a little dilution, a lot of the sweetness was gone.  I didn’t care too much for what was left.  I’d definitely recommend this one as a neat sipping whiskey.  No real complaints here.  It’s not as sweet as Jack Daniel’s, it’s main competition.  Some may like that, some may not.  Some very nice whiskey for under $25.

8/10