George Dickel 15 Year Single Barrel

Not your mommas dickel...

By Not Masters of Malt

July 6^th, 2021

BEHIND THE BOTTLE:

Our brief stint away from the keyboard has given us a much needed vacation, some time to make family decisions, and to ultimately sample some really great bottles. Now we are back and getting down and dirty with a little bit of 15 year Dickel!

The Tennessee charcoal mellowing process has many detractors and sometimes for good reason. While novice drinkers and enthusiasts alike tend to have no issues with sourced Dickel blended into some well known bespoke bottlings, drinkers tended to shy away from Dickel only releases. Minds started changing with the release of their 13 and 11 year old bottled-in-bond offerings which won some critical acclaim from pundits and influencers alike (Our review of the 11 year here: George Dickel Bottled in Bond 11 Year by Not Masters of Malt - Not Masters of Malt) and this release is no different. Aged at least 15 years and released as single barrels ranging in proof from 80-105 proof, can it prove to be a worthy progression?

FROM THE DISTILLER...

Cascade Hollow Distillery Notes:

As our whisky ages and mellows, each barrel imparts its own unique taste and aroma ensuring that no two are the same. Some barrels develop a particularly special character that deserves even more time in barrel to fully develop. That’s what you’ve got here – one of our most-precious antique Single Barrel whiskies hand-selected for our most discerning customers.

BOTTLE #: 203

PROOF: 101.2 (Other bottles will be between 80 & 104.6)

MASH BILL: 84% corn, 8% rye, 8% malted barley

CHAR: #4 barrel, #2 head

REVIEW:

Nose (7/10):

All the oak from the 15+ years in the barrel is out in force but it pairs extremely well with a bit of smoke and a rich brown butter and almond. Also getting baking spices, vanilla, butterscotch and a hint of "orange pez" or some other sort of chalky candy. Powerful and complex, just what I want to come back to time and time again.

Starts with a big wave of maple syrup with hints of bright cherry sweetness and a decent amount of oak. Under all of that is the typical Dickel vitamin note that isn’t overpowering but definitely brings the score down for me.

Palate (8/10):

No subtlety here, all the notes pickup right from the nose with a rich buttery oak and smoke that coats the tongue and follows up quickly with vanilla, orange, cinnamon, and maple syrup.

Sugary sweet with hints of marshmallow and maple hit the tongue first and just a little minerality but not too much. After a few more sips, I get a little of the cherry note that I got from the nose. Pretty tasty whiskey.

Finish (9/10):

Oh boy does this one linger! Some of the sweetness dissipates and replaced by a peppery, almost cigar type smokiness along with keeping the oak ever present. The age helps bring out all the little bits of complexity without being too dry or overly bitter.

This is where the whiskey really shines. There’s a nice long oak note that really lets you know that this is 15 years old without it being too bitter. Other flavors of sugar, maple and just a hint of tobacco round out the finish.

Price (9/10):

$60.00 which is a steal for anything "ultra-aged". Compare this to an Elijah Craig 18 year or the Calumet 15 Year Black Rack and nothing touches under $100 MSRP.

Aesthetics (3/5):

The same "squat bottle and nice hefty cork that Dickel uses for its other "premium" offerings but with a slight change to label coloring to give it a bit of pop. I appreciate all the information regarding barrel and proof up front and it looks more appealing than the traditional Dickel label and bottle. Not a front row trophy, but holds it own.

Availability (3/5):

The initial release of this 15 year single barrel was limited to around 8 states with a wide range of proofs between 80 and 105. With that being said, these bottles sat on shelves in Ohio long enough to grab a second bottle after several days. Subsequent releases should be more widely available and you shouldn't have to wait in line for it even as it picks up some acclaim across the whiskey reviewing community.

Overall (39/50): Top Shelf

Final Verdict:

For the discerning whisky drinker, you seriously need one of these on your shelf. People name hunting are going to walk by this bottle on store shelves and pass it up for fancier labels in your cabinet and that is part of what makes it great. A "smooth sipping" experience this is not.

This will challenge and force you to pick out little nuances that are only evident with repeated sessions. Every time I sat down with this pour I was eager to find something I missed before. The bottle we had changed greatly from the neck pour to past the shoulder and the "vitamin" note that turns so many people off of Dickel was much more apparent initially. Even my tap water as a palate cleanser seemed to also bring out those notes a bit more than with bottled.

A small caveat is the differences in proof. It's worth pointing out that while every single barrel is different, the bottles closer to 80 proof are not as widely recommended. Look for bottles 100 proof and up.