George Dickel 13 Year Bottled in Bond Tennessee Whisky (Fall 2008)

Breaking Bourbon's ratings go by barrels. They do halves and full, not quarters. I like their ratings. They seem tough but fair. Dickel BiB, this one, I believe, got 3.5 barrels, which is "Well above average." 4 Barrels is "Very good." When I tasted this bottle, I couldn't help thinking very good+. Thus my 4.25 barrel rating here. Dickel BiB got a high rating on Whisky Advocates Top 20. It's also done well in getting a A on Drinkhacker. For this reason, this aggregate of solid reviews, I asked my wife to pick me up a bottle when she was in Nashville this past week. She also got me a bottle of Chattanooga Cabernet Cask Finish, but I haven't opened that yet. This one, this was the first to be opened. And it's very, very good. I'm surprised at just how much I liked this. Straight off the bat, nosing this, I get cocoa powder heavily. There's a chocolate mustiness. It's a dark chocolate rather than milk, with a red fruit sweetness. Mostly cherries. I don't have a lot of experience with Dickel so the, um, Flintstone's vitamin thing I hear associated with it is not familiar with me. Mainly the fruit flavor is cherry. What this reminds me of a great deal is Knob 12. This is a 13-year, both are 100 proof, but this is bonded and that is not. Still, there's a great deal of similarity. Underlying the cocoa powder and cherry are touches of leather and oak. It's a bourbon after all. It's sweet, very little spice. It's not insanely complex, but the flavor is full, with maybe just a little banana mixed in with the cherry, reminding you of Jack or Old Forester, and maybe that banana tinge is what makes this different from Knob 12, despite the similarities. I can't remember what I rated Knob 12 and can't be bothered to look it up now, but these are in the same ballpark where I believe what pushes this up is simply the reality that they don't sell this in my neck of the woods and thus, this is special. This was a gift, and it feels like a gift, and I'm treasuring it as if it were a gift, which it is. I'm always excited when I get a whisky gifted to me that I can't get regularly. I'm always tempted to save it. I'm always tempted with limited editions. This one says Fall 2008 as the distilling season. My wife and I first hooked up Fall 2007, so this whisky is almost as old as our union. Kind of cool. Kind of interesting. Kind of comforting to know that something this good came out of 2008 and that something that good came out of 2007. Keep it going. I'd pick this up again in a heartbeat. And I'd pick her up again in a heartbeat too. It's a good gift.

Lucky find at Twin Liquors - Katy/Fulshear Bend The nose is very corn forward with sweet cream and cloves added in. As it sits in the glass, vanilla and caramel start to waft out The palate starts with baking spices of clove, nutmeg and cinnamon. Mid way through, a black walnut essence shines through. Dark chocolate and caramel show up more and more as the glass sits as well The finish is peppery citrus almost like a toasted Meyer lemon with vanilla and caramel closing it out. Definitely a sweater than normal finish One of the better Tennessee whiskeys I’ve ever tasted. Was worried that the Dickel chill-filtering process along with the 13 years of aging would make this whiskey a little too rounded and mellow. However, was pleasantly surprised with the strong complementary flavors that were just sharp enough to keep things interesting! Edit - I’m just below the shoulder now and this bottle continues to improve. The citrus notes continue to be enhanced as well as the nutty black walnut flavor (which I really like). I’ve enjoyed this bottle so much, I purchased another one!

I had super low expectations for this one. Namely because I got it for $39 on clearance. A 13 yr BiB for $39 seems like a steal, when we think others charge multiples of it for the same age or slightly older. Cloves. Oranges. Yeah…the fruity Flintstones vitamins are there. I don’t mind those, in fact I kinda like them. But I can see that might be a issue for others. It’s got some heat at 50%. I had to add water, but that’s just me. I felt without water, the heat was overtaking everything else. With water, I really got those clove studded oranges I love. Ok so, let’s face it. This isn’t a life changing , deep contemplation Brora-esqe pour. But at $39, it wont break the bank either. This is a pour you can proudly take out with family and friends, as well as with bourbon snobs and bourbon newbies. It’s an all-rounder that is wallet friendly and with the right credentials on paper.

Dark copper/tarnished brass in color a few legs form after quite a bit of time... Hangs on the glass as one big sheet. Nose is loaded with rich oak and leather with dark chocolate covered cherries. Hints of baking spices pop through, along with a faint note of malted milk balls. Instantly warming, it's sweetness is present, but not the main player until the mid palate/early finish. The finish is long and interesting, unfolding in the reverse of the nose. A wonderful cherry wood character mingles with barrel char and burnt caramel. I definitely pick up the lemon peel/citrucy thing too It loosens up and reveals some vanilla with a few drops of water. I'm disappointed that the price is up to $49.99, but I'll still snap up every one I see.

Tasted neat. Dark golden brown and average coating legs in the glass. Nose is light, floral grain and mineral saline. Oak, ethanol, and charcoal surround the sweet corn, dry roasted peanuts, and vanilla. Not as sweet as expected. Baking spices come on and so does a sour flavor. Light to moderate mouthfeel and then longer mint, mineral, char, and tobacco finish. With ice the bourbon flattens, but the sour char ethanol finish continues. I was really expecting a better more complex drink given the Distiller Pro rating (not seeing a cherry cola sweetness) and a 13 year age statement. Will keep tasting this and circle back, but right now, first blush, this is a disappointing 3.5 ...being generous.

Nose: The age of this whiskey is immediately apparent with notes of rich oak, dark brown sugar, caramel, dusty corn, and dried black cherries with a coating of baking spices and a shot of vanilla. Palate: Full-bodied and pretty oily. Very cohesive with the nose. Brown sugar, caramel, and rich oak again. Dusty corn, dried tart cherries, cinnamon, and vanilla with hints of leather. Finish: Barrel spices and caramel fade slowly to complete a beautiful sip. Summary: Between the 15 Year Single Barrels and the Bottled in Bond series, Dickel has the best bang for your buck in all of American whiskey. Don't let the naysayers keep you from trying this offering. Leave them behind. More for us.