George Dickel 13 Year Bottled in Bond Tennessee Whisky (Spring 2007)

WHISKIES I DON’T CARE FOR: ROUND 2 George Dickel Bottled in Bond vs Hudson Baby Bourbon Whiskey (I'm just now realizing that this review, which was done August 15, 2022, was not posted to the George Dickel 13, so I'm including it now). (These first two paragraphs are largely boilerplate from my Round 1 review). Lately I’ve been doing several side-by-side tastings. I have plenty of whisk(e)y that I love—probably too much—but I’ve also got some that I don’t care for, so I thought I’d mix it up and try to discern just what I don’t like about them. My mental shelving of them into the “not like” category means that they’ve been in the penalty box for some time; thus it’s instructive to ascertain whether or not they belonged there to begin with. The whiskies I selected for this round were picked randomly; they happened to be two that I recalled not liking. Unlike some of my other showdowns (Islay, BTAC, etc.), this side-by-side tasting has nothing to do with a specific region or type; rather, both of these are simply two that I haven’t drunk much (if any) because I didn’t care for them to begin with. George Dickel Bottled in Bond This bourbon won Whisky Advocate’s Whisk(e)y of the Year in 2019. (A digression: Whisky Advocate is part of Marvin Shanken’s portfolio of lifestyle magazines, which also includes Wine Spectator, Cigar Afficionado, and other industry publications. WA is not about finding “the best”; rather, it’s about marketing, business and “spreading the love around” so that retailers can have something new to push. To be fair, their methodology for the annual Top 20 excludes so-called “hard to find” whiskies. And of course, whisky and whiskey is anything but monolithic, so the comparison isn’t apples to apples. Are there repeat winners, or even repeat top-20 selections? I can’t find any since the list began in 2017. I love Lagavulin; but how is Lagavulin 11 Offerman Edition--not as good as the Lagavulin 16, or the Lagavulin Distiller's edition--the best of that year on any metric? Of course it doesn’t mean that all of their picks are bad: 2020’s #1, Larceny Barrel Proof, is outstanding. 2018’s #1, Nikka Whisky From the Barrel, is fantastic.2017’s #1, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B517, is great. This isn’t my subjective opinion; it’s empirical statistical analysis. Five years. 100 whiskies. No duplicates. Dickel BiB was #1 in 2019, but hasn’t been able to crack the top 20 since? ECBP B517 was #1 in 2017, but couldn’t again crack the top 20 in the next five years? Off soapbox). As with all whiskies that win WA’s WOTY, this one got scarce for awhile. I found a bottle during the hype and counted myself lucky. Then I tasted it and put it aside. GD BiB has a 13-year-old age statement. Color is a deep, tawny burnt orange. On the nose there is a quite pronounced—and quite odd—note that many have described as “peanut” but I have described as “Flintstone’s chewable vitamins.” I’ve gotten the same note on the only other Dickel I’ve ever had (the regular 8-year-old expression). This time, I am getting more of the peanut aspect, and there is a certain pervasive richness to it. Perhaps this peanut-cum-Flintstone-vitamin thing is just a polarizing thing, like Julia Child and cilantro. Part of me wants to find something positive to say, like concentrated nectar of Snickers, but I just can’t get myself to say it. There’s also a cool spearmint note. The palate is an improvement: it is smooth and rich, with a chocolate-covered-cherries sweetness. The 100 proof shows itself on the back end of the palate, and continues on the finish, with a pleasant (and expected) bit of heat, finishing with lingering vanilla and additional cool spearmint. GD BiB is smooth and rich. So is clam chowder, and I don’t like clams. But if you like peanuts or children’s chewable vitamins in your whisky, you may like it. 2.5 on the Distiller scale. Of course, there are other polarizing whiskies: one that I love is Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Five-Malt Stouted Mash (reviewed 5/19/22). But whereas the Woodford was a special project with a specific goal that was (objectively) accomplished, the GD BiB is just…odd. One more thing. I’m not a Dickel fan based on my experience with two of their offerings (I’m stubborn though, and would surely at least try another if it was given to me). My position became more entrenched when I realized that this distiller offers a spirit aged in Tabasco barrels. I say “spirit” because it doesn’t qualify as a whiskey (it’s only 70 proof). Can any whisk(e)y connoisseur take that seriously? For more info on Dickel’s marketing master stroke with Tabasco, enjoy whisky.com’s Ben Luening’s comments (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wN5CWRHLrk). Skip to 5:17 for the fireworks. Hudson Baby Bourbon Whiskey Apparently this bourbon is now a relic, having been discontinued sometime in the past few years. It appears that Tuthilltown Distillers, which the label describes as the first New York distiller since Prohibition, has been bought by Scotland’s William Grant & Sons, and the offerings have been revamped. This particular bourbon appears to have been replaced by the “Bright Lights, Big Bourbon” brand. This discontinued bottle is only 375ml, 94 proof, “made with 100% New York corn,” and aged “under 4 years” without saying how long. Had I realized the mashbill, I would’ve included it in my “Corn Whiskey Showdown” (6/29/22). The nose is unmistakably corn and oak. The mouthfeel is nice, with a viscous, syrupy quality, along with corn-syrup sweetness. There is some corn sweetness and a little spiciness on the finish. Essentially a one-man band playing the same note. 1.5 on the Distiller scale. N.B.: All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

It's a shame that there are not more reviews of this one. The first 2 editions have more reviews. I found this sitting on a shelf collecting dust today and decided I wasn't going to walk past it without taking it home. I've had several Dickel products before and I do get that flintstones vitamin flavor from many but not not all of their products. I've had some Dickel select and single barrel offerings that were outstanding. The regular old #12 and #8 labels are whiskey's that I feel like you really have to be in the mood to enjoy. This has been divisive with reviewers online but I really wanted to try it out for myself. Let's get into it! Nose is very caramel forward. There is some oak and vanilla there as well but if you try hard enough ,the end of the first sniff gives you a handful of spearmint gum. Palate is pretty sweet and easy to sip. Flavor wheel is pretty complex. I get candied orange, maple syrup, candied pecans, peanut butter, sawdust, caramel, earth, leather, oak and a really enjoyable cedar which hangs out on the finish as well. Finish is candied orange slices, oak, vanilla, caramel, tobacco and cedar. This whiskey shows it's age and the amount of time it was in oak. I don't get the vitamins flavor on this one but rather a strange twist with the orange and all the cedar. I like it though as it's a great change of pace product with a sticky viscosity that many more expensive whisky's lack. I feel like some people like to line up to get on the "I hate Dickel bandwagon" but I don't get why ? Yes they source plenty of whiskey and yes they have some mineralities that other distilleries would never feature. But the bottle label and price are down to earth and for some folks like me appreciate that sentiment. It's a 13 year old whiskey that is complex but doesn't break the bank. If you see it, take a chance on it and keep an open mind.

GD BIB Release #3 ((Spring '07) *APPEARANCE: Great Mahogany Color that clings to the glass with Slow, Fat Legs. *NOSE: Fabulous. Bold & Layered. Brown Sugar, Old Dry Wood, Pipe Tobacco, Canned Fruit Cocktail, Orange Peel, Spearmint, Spice Rack. *NEAT: Thick & Clingy. Cedar Shavings, Tobacco, Fall Spice (Nutmeg, Cardamom, Clove), Syrupy Canned Fruit, Cherry Pie Filling, White Pepper. Slightly Warming Long-ish Finish with Oak Tannins, Maple, and Vanilla coating and layering on the palate. *SPLASH: Nose and Palate get more Fruit and a bit of the Traditional Vanilla along with Lemon Pudding. Oak gets a little less spice. *Verdict: When I saw the new 4th Release on shelves today (Distilled in Fall of '08, it appears to be the same as Release 2 with a couple more years in the barrel), I realized I'd never given the 3rd Release a proper review. It is another fine product from Cascade Hollow. All the BIB's have been excellent, and though the VFM is not as great as it used to be with it's price jump from $34 to $50, it is still worthy of a purchase whenever you can find it. I definitely won't wait as long to give the new batch a thorough tasting.

Lots of caramel, brown sugar, and rich, toasted oak jump out of the glass upon first scent. Luxardo cherries have joined the party now as well. Some sweet tobacco, candy corn, and minty milk chocolate wrap up a very moreish nose. Could the palate possibly stand up to the deliciousness that is the nose? A promising start as the initial palate is nicely rich and round in the mouth. Coats everything quite well. Brown sugar, cinnamon, orange peel, cherries, sweet oak, and some chalky minerality evolve on the palate. All in all, the flavors do not quite live up to the nose, but it is still quite nice. Maybe a bit higher proof would have let the flavors sing a bit more. The finish is oak dominated but it isn't too dry. Still some fruitiness lingers as well with the same orange/cherry note I got on the initial palate. Overall, a very enjoyable whiskey and a reasonable price to boot. Many who drank American Whiskey years ago would laugh at some of the prices of well-aged whiskey nowadays. I am, unfortunately, used to paying about $10 for every 1 year in the barrel so it is refreshing to see a 13 year for at or around $50

(I had mistakenly reviewed this under the Fall 2005 bottling.) Bought this in TN due to the high ratings elsewhere. I have determined that I simply do not like Tennessee whiskey. Every single one I've tried has had some off-putting flavor that dominates the profile for me. In this, there is some underlying anise and bitterness that overwhelms the positive fruitiness and grain. The charcoal "mellowing" Lincoln county process removes too many flavor compounds and what remain do not appeal to me. I regret that I took a chance on this and paid a premium for it. What's worse is that I have a full bottle of the 11 year that I bought on the same trip that I know I will not like. Another $40 down the drain. I wish I could find a legal way to trade it to someone for a non-TN bourbon. After managing to finish this bottle, I believe that the off flavor I was getting is the Flintstones vitamin note, which is very prevalent to me in this. *I finally opened the 11 year bottle which is less complex, but it doesn't have the overwhelming vitamin note making it more drinkable for me.

N: Caramel, peanuts, sweet corn, oak. There's that chalky, mineral note that runs through the GD line and some other Tennessee whiskeys. Cherry and other berry notes. Bit more ethanol on the nose than I recall from the other GD BiBs - it's more than I would prefer. P: Cherry and peanuts. Lots of chili pepper heat early. Oak char comes with that. Caramel, vanilla, and more sweet corn. Sharp ethanol bite again. Finish is more of the chili pepper heat - it just keeps coming and it's hard for me to get much beyond a burn on my tongue. I'll try: hot cinnamon chocolate, vitamins (yeah, the Flintstone kind), cherry, almond, and booze. The vitamin and chili pepper heat lingers basically forever. I'm not fond of this. I think it's easily the weakest of the three GD BiB releases. It's unpleasantly hot and boozy and lacks balance. I've picked up multiple bottles of both of the previous releases (still sitting on a sealed bottle of BiB #1), but I'll have to pass on a 2nd bottle of this. I'd look for the 11 year old (BiB #2) if you can still find it.