George Dickel No:12
Tennessee: Spicy, Sweet, and Subtle
1 1389
Review by @Victor
- Nose~
- Taste~
- Finish~
- Balance~
- Overall89
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- Brand: George Dickel
- Type: American
- ABV: 45%
Jack Daniels and George Dickel are the only two legal distillers of Tennessee Whiskey. Jack Daniels, owned by Brown-Forman in Louisville, dwarfs George Dickel in volume and is the #1 selling whisk(e)y in the USA. George Dickel brand of Tullahoma, Tennessee, is currently owned by Diageo PLC, and makes three whiskies: George Dickel Old # 8, Superior # 12, and George Dickel Barrel Select Tennessee Whisky. The Superior # 12 name has nothing to do with the age of the whisky, which is 4 yrs. Dickel is one of the few American distillers to choose to use the Scottish spelling of 'Whisky' in its titles. Tennessee whiskeys usually have grain mashbills in the same range as most bourbons. What differentiates Tennessee whiskeys from bourbons, other than location of production, is the use of a thick layer of sugar maple charcoal to filter the whisky prior to bottling. This maple charcoal filtration is claimed by the distillers to make the whisky more smooth. It also unquestionably gives a sweet maple sugar taste to the whiskeys from Tennessee.
Nose: maple sugar, honey, citrus, a hint of spice
Taste: delicious oak, with prominent maple sugar. This is refined, sweet, and elegant. Vanilla and a little caramel from the wood are apparent. The spices are much more apparent in the mouth than in the nose. These are mostly high and middle notes here, without much bass
Finish: rather long, with the wood and spice holding up very well together
Balance: this is a whisky whose elegance is unusual in Tennessee, in fact, the only Tennessee whisky that I really like. Dickel # 8 is rather rough and crude by comparison according to my palate. I am not a big fan of any of the Jack Daniels products, although there may be a single barrel of it out there somewhere that I may like. My wife, my sister and I had no trouble downing a bottle of Dickel # 12 on a cruise a year ago, and it was perfect to the occasion. I would recommend this one if you are in a mood where sweet is ok, and you are looking to appreciate lightness of body, richness of flavour, and subtlety. I would also point out that this is a whisky that Jim Murray likes quite a lot: he gave it a 90/100 rating in his 2011 Whisky Bible
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@Victor, a very thorough review again, and a well-deserved boost for an under-rated and best-buy whiskey. I might add that George Dickel #12 comes in an attractive retro bottle. Regarding other Tennessee whiskies, I am very fond of my bottle of JD Single Barrel ... which may indeed be only one of a kind. Now I will toast a George Dickel to you !