The Whiskey Reviewer A World of Whiskey, Poured Every Weekday
By Richard Thomas
Rating: A-
Nicole Austin’s start as the new Distiller and General Manager of the Cascade Hollow Distillery (formerly known as simply George Dickel, which it still makes) was marked by a bang: the introduction of a 13 year old, bonded version of the esteemed Tennessee Whiskey. That release of a middle aged bottled in bond is now an annual thing, with the 11 year old follow up marking 2020.
For now, George Dickel Bottled in Bond is a gem of American Whiskey’s summer season. The expression looks set to continue as a reasonably priced, middle aged and bonded Tennessee Whiskey that isn’t hunted to extinction. That age band seems to be the upper limit for Dickel, as indeed it seems to be for Tennessee Whiskey generally. Ultra aged releases, such as Dickel 17 Year Old and Whoop & Holler, have consistently lacked that extra oomph that merits leaving the whiskey in the barrel for longer.
With things as they are, though, that status may not last for much more than another year or two; late spring/early summer is a pretty thin period of bottle hunting. As it stands now, only Blood Oath and batches of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, Booker’s and Larceny Barrel Proof come out at that time. If Dickel BiB sticks to mid-June, it will become the gem to find at that time of year. My advice is grab it while it’s relatively easy and cheap to do so.
The Whiskey
A pour of this whiskey has a lively and bright, middle amber appearance. The nose is brown sugar, maple and vanilla sweetness, accented by citrus blossoms, a hint of cinnamon and toasted nuts.
The palate is rich, with the flavor running sweeter than the nose suggested. That melted brown sugar, maple syrup and vanilla sweetness occupies much more space in the center of the stage, with the cinnamon note being much more modest. The main accent is that of the citrusy, floral note. The finish turns spicy and oaky, but that fades, allowing the toasted, almost charred nuttiness to reemerge.
Dickel 11 Year old Bonded offers its drinkers a pleasant, meandering, sipper’s journey. It’s well worth having for that reason alone; all the titles it carries with it on that blue label just add to the luster.
The Price
The kicker for this whiskey is that it’s officially priced at just $40 a bottle.
