Brian’s George Dickel Barrel Select Review:
25-April-2020
GEORGE DICKEL BARREL SELECT WHISKEY REVIEW:
I enjoyed this Tennessee whiskey from the first waft. I have a confession: Although I’ve not had many Tennessee whiskeys, I’ve not been impressed with other’s I’ve tried. George Dickel Barrel Select drinks more like the bourbon I enjoy and even at its low proof.
GEORGE DICKEL BARREL SELECT VITAL STATS:
Category: Tennessee Whisky
Region: Tullahoma Tennessee, USA
Distillery: Cascade Hollow Distilling Company
Mash Bill: 84% corn, 8% rye, 8% malted barley
Barrel Char: #4
Barrel entry proof: unpublished
Age: nas (unpublished)
Chilled and sugar maple charcoal filtered before and after barreling (Double mellowed)
ABV: 43% (86 Proof)
No other distinguishing notes or barrel identifiers on the bottle.
Price: $43.95
Click here for more information: https://georgedickel.com/
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
For the evaluation, I shared the juice neat from Glencairn glasses with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah.
Check out her review for this whisky here!
NOSE:
At first nosing, George Dickel Barrel Select presents quite dry with no trace of alcohol. With heavy draws, one can coax out sherry tannins, fruit tree blossoms, and a pleasant roasted corn sweetness. Red berry jam, plums and an ever so subtle hint of banana compliment faint spices of powdered ginger, white pepper and there is a bready yeastiness in there as well. The whiskey spices mix with light vanilla custard, caramelized sugar and buttery caramel and play well with maple sugar and chocolate walnut toffee. As the sweet aromas continue, a light and gentle undefined woodiness fades in and out of this well blended spirit.
PALATE:
The first sip is warm and inviting and has only a touch of alcohol. The pour’s sweetness comes in as current or plum jam with just enough white pepper to let me know I’m enjoying a fine whiskey. At only 86 proof, I find it takes a fairly aggressive mouth rinse and swish to advance the tannins detected on the nose, but as I do, the light fruit tree blossoms and yeastiness peak in as well. In my mouth, the sweetness continues, now a little more complex … an aftertaste of vanilla bean seeds in ice cream, and a touch of bittersweet chocolate mix with the caramelized sugar and bitter walnuts in homemade toffee. More sipping brings the smokey sweetness of toasted wood, then barrel spice and a earthy damp leather. This is an artfully crafted whiskey.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
George Dickel Barrel Select is a solid whiskey. I love the mellow and oily mouthfeel and the sweet aftertaste as it lingers on the tongue. In the Glencairn, a clinging droplet crown gives way to well defined, evenly spaced clinging legs, gently returning to the tawny colored bowl.
FINISH:
For me, this Tennessee whiskey finishes medium long with a touch of warming dryness. Sherry tannins and a bit of cinnamon heat fade into yeasty rye bread which nearly hide faint its bittersweet chocolate as subtle barrel char drifts in and out. As the dram is finished, new sawn oak plywood sawdust fills the empty Glencairn. This is a fine whiskey.
MY RATING: 81/100
Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? NO
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
Click 81/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click George Dickel.
WHISKEY TRAITS AND FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
Back to …
..I was reading what I thought was a glowing review only to find that the reviewer would not pursue a second bottle…silly IMO
Thank you for the constructive comment Gavin. I re-read the review and can get behind your thoughts. This was one of my early reviews … I’ve tried to improve with each one of written.