George Dickel

The Dickel Dozen, Pt. 1

The folks at George Dickel reached out to me asking if I wanted to participate in a new blogger program called the Dickel Dozen.  The Dickel Dozen?  The first image that comes to mind is the film “The Dirty Dozen.”  Anyway, about the program: George Dickel National Ambassador Doug Kragel selects a barrel of George Dickel Tennessee Whisky.  That barrel gets bottled and 12 bloggers (the aforementioned Dickel Dozen) get sent a bottle for review.  That sounded good to me, so I signed up.  I’ve written about George Dickel No. 8, George Dickel No. 12, and George Dickel Barrel Select here before.  Their No 8 was okay, but I really enjoyed their Dickel No. 12 and Barrel Select.   This program will give me a chance to try a single barrel of George Dickel.  I should have a bottle sent to me soon, and I’ll post about when I receive it.  In the meantime, check out this video they created and personalized just for us here at AdventuresInWhiskey.com.

 

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