Dickel Bottled in Bond Review
Age: 13 years old
Barrel type: Charred fresh oak
Region: Tennessee
ABV: 50%
Price: $45
Additional details: Lincoln County process (charcoal filtered), natural color
Dickel Bottled in Bond may be the first full bottle of Tennessee whisky that I've ever purchased. Tennessee whiskies are a sub-family of bourbons, whose makers don't like to call their output bourbon for some reason. Tennessee whisky essentially satisfies all the standard criteria of bourbon -- majority corn mash bill, fresh charred new oak aging, etc. -- but also undergoes the so-called "Lincoln County" process, which is just a way of charcoal filtering the final product.
Cascade Hollow Distillery, recently renamed, is the producer of the Dickel line of bourbons. I think of Dickel as the younger, neglected sibling of the famed and universally recognized Jack Daniel's. Jack Daniel's whiskies have a characteristic banana flavor, and Dickel has its own signature, although it's a bit of an acquired taste. Many people describe this taste as chalky or like vitamin tablets. It's an intense, slightly bitter, slightly dry minerality that's unlike any other whisky that I've tried. And, for better or worse, it's prominent in this expression.
Dickel Bottled in Bond was announced to great fanfare earlier this year because of its rare combination of a few key features. First of all, and unlike most major new releases, Dickel revealed this whisky's distillation year (2005). The obvious implication of this fact is that Dickel Bottled in Bond is over 13 years old, which stands out in today's market where most products either have no age statement or are bringing their age statements down into the single digits. Second, by committing to making it bottled in bond, Dickel ensured this whisky would weigh in at a respectable ABV of 50 percent. Finally, and best of all, Dickel released this bottle at a fair or better than fair price of $45.
Nose: There is a lot going on here, and it takes a while to pick apart this fascinating and complex dram. Unfortunately, not all of it is immediately pleasing, although there's no denying its depth. That medicinal, dry, funky vitamin tablet note is powerful, almost leaping out of the glass to start. The second set of aromas that I'm getting are mixed nuts: roasted chestnuts in particular, with their dry and ashy scent, but also almonds and oily peanuts mixed in. This is not a particularly sweet whisky, although there is something reminiscent of brandy or cognac every now and then, along with dulce de leche, vanilla, caramel, and baker's chocolate.
Palate: I would not guess 50 percent when I'm drinking it, this is an easy-sipping bourbon (or, if you insist, Tennessee whisky). Unlike the nose, which is relatively wood-free, there's noticeable oak and a healthy dose of tannins on each sip. Those roasted nuts crop up quickly and are joined by salted butter popcorn, butterscotch, Werther's candies, cloves, florals, and a slightly metallic note that reminds me of Irish pot still whisky. Again, it's complex, but a bit of a jumble at times, and that vitamin tablet dryness reemerges over time.
Finish: It's a total sugar bomb after the swallow . . . just kidding. There are no surprises here: chalky children's vitamins, medicine, chestnuts, menthol cigarette, slight sawdust, and blondie or buttered sweets. Interestingly, we had a big group tasting with 10 to 15 friends a few weeks ago, and this expression was one of the runaway winners of the night.
Value for Money and Final Impressions: Value for money is the strong suit of this whisky. As mentioned earlier, this is a rare bird in the modern market thanks to the combination of a double-digit age statement, 50% ABV, and a price under $45. That's pretty wild. Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond, which is a re-release slated to come out later this year, is going to be a seven-year-old expression and will be almost the same price, around $40. The other immediate comparison that comes to mind is Henry McKenna Bottled in Bond, which is pretty good but also insanely hyped right now thanks to its World Whiskey of the Year award. I can't think of any bottle that provides such strong value, but the odd part of it is that I'm not exactly rushing out to buy another bottle. There is a little too much of an acquired taste to this product. That being said, for fans of Dickel, this is an exciting release and well worth the price paid.
Score: B