04/02/24
By Rebecca Herman McBrayer
Wayne and I recently selected two Dickel offerings for a formal tasting. We had the opportunity to visit Cascade Hollow Distilling last August and that is where we acquired these particular bottles. You can read about our visit here.
Selected for this Tasting
George Dickel 15-Year Single Barrel Tennessee Whisky and George Dickel 17-Year Cask Strength Reserve Tennessee Whisky. Please be sure to read our approach to Tasting Whiskey if you haven’t already.
George Dickel 15-Year Single Barrel Tennessee Whisky
Mashbill – 84% Corn, 8% Rye, 8% Malted Barley
Age – at least 15 years
Proof – 93.4
Other – Single Barrel
Price Paid – $80.00
Color – Dark copper
Aroma – Sweetness of caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, and cherry, with a nice oak, nutmeg, and light smokiness.
Taste – Very mellow yet a full body. Sweetness of vanilla, toffee, berry, and cocoa. Finishes with nutmeg, a woodiness, a hint of leather, and a light spice.
Tasted with dried cranberry – The cranberry brought forward more smokiness but less sweetness. No real finish.
Tasted with a pecan – The pecan brought the sweetness back and the toffee and chocolate returned while the smokiness is lessened.
Tasted with dark chocolate – Now there are stronger baking spices and a Heath Bar effect with chocolate covered toffee.
George Dickel 17-Year Cask Strength Reserve Tennessee Whisky
Mashbill – 84% Corn, 8% Rye, 8% Malted Barley
Age – 17 years
Proof – 92
Other – Cask Strength Reserve
Price Paid – $350.00
Color – Medium copper
Aroma – Caramel, vanilla, honey, fruit, leather, light smokiness.
Taste – Toffee, vanilla, honey, sweet fruits, nutmeg, and dark chocolate, with smokiness and allspice on the finish.
Tasted with dried cranberry – The cranberry took some the sweetness away and muted all the flavors. Now there is basically no finish.
Tasted with a pecan – The pecan made it spicier but the toffee notes returned. A hint of white pepper on the finish.
Tasted with dark chocolate – The chocolate is interesting as it didn’t do much on the taste but the creaminess is very nice.
Discussion and Final Notes
Interestingly, there are many similarities between the two and we enjoyed each of them.
***15-year-old: Loved the sweetness of vanilla, toffee, berry, and cocoa. Finishes with nutmeg, a woodiness, a hint of leather, and a light spice.
***17-year-old: Really enjoyed the toffee, vanilla, honey, sweet fruits, nutmeg, and dark chocolate, with smokiness and allspice on the finish.
About 15 minutes after we concluded our tasting, our empty glasses were still in front of us. As we often like to do, we revisited the aroma of each empty glass.
***15-year-old: The smokiness is more apparent and what you notice first; however, then there is a lovely sweetness that shines through.
***17-year-old: The first note is toffee and chocolate and those aromas are very pronounced. In addition, there is a cherry-toasted-marshmallow aroma that is divine.
Our recommendation: If you have an opportunity to try either of these, please do so. The 15-year-old is easier to find in stores. Considering the tasting experience, availability, AND the price difference ($80 vs $350), we recommend the 15-year-old. It provides an exceptional pour of Tennessee Whiskey at a good value.
Cheers,
Rebecca
Photos by Rebecca Herman McBrayer
Tennessee Whiskey
Tennessee Whiskey starts with the same requirements as Bourbon. It must be made with a mashbill that contains at least 51% corn. It must be distilled at a maximum of 160 proof (80% ABV). It then must be placed into a new, charred oak container at a maximum of 125 proof (62.5% ABV). In addition, it must be free from added substances (except water) and bottled at a minimum of 80 proof (40% ABV).
There are two additional requirements that make it unique. First, it must be made in the state of Tennessee. Second, it must be filtered through maple charcoal prior to aging. The charcoal filtering is often accomplished using the Lincoln County Process.
For additional information, please read this post – Tennessee Whiskey.
NOTE: The whiskeys in this review were purchased by us. We were not compensated by the spirit producers for this review. This is simply our opinion based on what we tasted on this day. Please drink responsibly.
Your Bourbon Journey 