Dickel has been cranking out particular version whiskeys with double-digit ages as a part of its ongoing Bottled in Bond collection for just a few years now. However for the vacations, the distillery has dropped a good older bottling that hits a full 17 years of age, although it’s not bonded, coming into the bottle at 46% abv. It’s, nonetheless, denoted as being “cask energy,” which appears curious.
The whiskey was really first launched in 2016 as a 375ml bottling solely accessible on the distillery; this 2022 bottling is extra extensively accessible and ships in customary 750ml bottles, although that is in fact totally different liquid — albeit whiskey which “pays homage” to the unique.
I discovered the 2016 bottling to be fairly severely over-wooded, and I’m pleased to report this expression tempers the impression of the barrel significantly vs. its forebear. Certain, there’s some char on the nostril, however it’s tempered by loads of slick fruit within the type of rum raisin, plum, and cherry notes, with a layer of cola and candy tea atop. Certain sufficient, the palate has the identical total presentation, showcasing a candy tea high quality that’s closely laden with purple fruit, transferring from there right into a maple syrup observe — one of many few connecting threads to the 2016 bottling. The whiskey pings again to tea once more for the end, with the lightest overtone of leather-based and spice lingering on the candy and prolonged back-end.
What an enormous distinction this whiskey is vs. its unique building, with all of the modifications proving themselves to be for the higher. Relatively than scratching at my tongue to scrape all of the tar and char away, Dickel proves in 2022 that previous bourbon can nonetheless be energetic and enjoyable to drink. Really helpful.
96 proof.
A- / $250 / georgedickel.com
George Dickel Tennessee Whiskey Reserve 17 Years Previous (2022)
$250
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