George Dickel Bottled in Bond 11 Year

To Dickel or not to Dickel in 2021...

By Not Masters of Malt

January 25^th, 2021

FROM THE DISTILLER...

George Dickel:

In 2019, George Dickel entered the Bottled in Bond category by launching the brand's Fall 2005 whisky, which earned the coveted "Whisky of the Year" award from Whisky Advocate and was the top-rated American Whiskey of 2019 by Wine Enthusiast. Bold and balanced, this latest release is an 11-year-old whisky that was bottled in Fall 2008 and offers tantalizing notes of pecan, maple syrup and dried apple.

At 100 proof (50% ABV), this release of George Dickel Bottled in Bond is best enjoyed slowly neat or on the rocks and plays well in many classic cocktails like an Old Fashioned or Perfect Manhattan.

BEHIND THE BOTTLE:

George Dickel’s Bottled in Bond annual releases have been quite controversial. The 13 year old release was met with mixed reviews and many were surprised when Whisky Advocate named it their “Whisky of the Year” award in 2019. The 2020 release, which has an 11 year age statement, was met with decent hype after following it’s older award winning brother. Ohio being Ohio, we never saw the 2019 or 2020 release, but luckily I have family in Kentucky and was able to find the 11 year during a recent trip. Lets see what all the fuss is about...

REVIEW:

Price (8/10):

$44.00 after taxes in Kentucky. For a bottled in bond whisky with this high of an age statement, this is a great value. I can’t think of too many whiskies at this price and age, especially during the current bourbon boom.

Nose (6/10):

Sweet corn, cereal, and maple dominate the nose up front. After swirling the whisky around, the oak shows up with hints of vanilla and cherry. There is a bit of a mineral note that is typical of Dickel products that is a bit off putting, but it isn’t overwhelming. Not a super complex nose.

Palate (6/10):

The maple that I get on the nose shows up big on the first sip. This is very sweet! After another sip, I get sweet corn and some cherry notes that turn into oak. For being 100 proof, this doesn’t drink hot.

Finish (5/10):

Big flavors of oak and chocolate malt hit first and then quickly fade into that mineral note that I was getting on the nose. After another sip, there is a small hit of apple peel. The finish on this is okay but very short, which is disappointing.

Aesthetics (2/5):

This whisky has the typical Dickel bottle that I find just a bit boring. The label has a nice Blue and Gold color scheme to make it stand out some, but it is still pretty generic.

Availability (3/5):

As I said earlier, Ohio doesn’t get this Dickel release. When I found it in Kentucky, there were multiple bottles on the shelf which makes me think it’s pretty easy to find in other states if you are willing to make the trip.

Overall (30/50): Daily Drinker

Final Verdict:

This one was difficult to review. Some of the first pours from the bottle over ice was excellent. Fast forward a few weeks and the mineral notes grew more pronounced and it became difficult to sip neat. Then, right before the review, I poured one last glass to lock in the profile and found it to be enjoyable again. The mineral notes seemed to dissipate slightly and the sweet notes seemed to shine through much more than in previous sessions. This experience reinforces the mixed opinions we hear from the community and other reviewers about many of the bottles in their lineup. As much as this bottle seems to have a mind of its own, it wouldn't stop me from picking up the next George Dickel Bottled in Bond release.