Tastes

I quite like this one. Theres a bit more burn than you'd expect from a 90 proof. It can come off a bit much at first, but theres some good flavors going on. Dark cherry, spice and dark caramel on the nose. Good but nothing incredible really. Again, quite a bit of burn there. But the flavors really grew on me. It became more apparent of a raspberry jam note on the palate over time. Theres some nice dark fruit notes there which the spice does well with. Oak is pretty heavy but not to an extreme level. The oak goes really well with the flavors along side it. Theres a some butterscotch, slight coffee note. It finishes heavily on vanilla which lingers along with the spice. That vanilla is a nice finishing touch after the dark fruit. I could see this being a love or hate kind of bourbon. For me the oak and dark fruit notes work really well together along with the spice.

Made for cocktails. This is not something to drink neat. Spice and ginger on the nose. The flavor of the rye is similar to the nose with the addition of some lemon. A very spicy rye here. Not surprising given the mashbill. Lacks any sort of complexity. What you see is what you get, and it isnt much.

Barrel # 7849651 115 proof Not much on the nose at first. Burn. Graham cracker. Some sort of burnt fruit I havent completely pinned down. The initial sip had heavy oak. As time went on, it became less noticeable and more came through. Cinnamon. Orange. That orange became more present on the nose. Some cherry as well. Bubblegum. Nice spice notes throughout. The oak appears again on the finish which stays with you. Along with more spice and a malty note. Theres a nice color to it and thickness. It gets better the more you drink this and more flavor comes to the surface. Im especially impressed as the base bourbon is incredibly lackluster.

Good pour for the price. A surprisingly good nose on this. The profile is a mix of sweet and dark flavors. Sweet caramel, salt, pear, oak, pecan. The flavor is quite a bit more straightforward. Dark caramel, oak, circus peanut candy, a bit minty and ending on oak. It lingers a short while of spice and oak and coats the mouth nicely. It has some nice spicyness for a 90 proof. No regrets purchasing this. More often than not , I've enjoyed Dickel bottles, and this is no exception.

This is a 4 star bourbon at the max. Still, had a hard time giving it just that. My thinking is that it does everything right with about a 90 proof bourbon. It checks off all the boxes with what youd expect, while giving you a little bit more. All the standard notes are there. Noticeably its more fruit heavy on the nose. That apple continues on the palate, theres some mint note that is there at just the right amount and doesnt overstay its welome. Then some dark caramel appears near the back end. Theres a bit more mint, and ends with that fruit note and spice. Theres some slight oak note along with a very slight tabacco note that doesnt quite reach the surface the other notes do. Its balanced, though more on the fruit side. Its a pleasant bourbon, my only gripe would be the price point. Its a well above standard bourbon. Theres no real 'wow' factor here, but it does everything right. Cheers.

Barrel #17618 111 proof. After some mixed thoughts on past bottles, Ive thought this one was really nice. The nose has hints of juicy fruit and big red. Cherry is very noticeable. The cherry returns on the palate but only near the end. Its heavy on the baking spice, slight apple tartness. Finishes with some of that cherry and a really dark note i can't distinguish, its unique though. Its also a really dry finish. Of course, these bottles will vary. This one is a winner that really seperates itself from others on the shelf.

This one isnt too bad. Tastes of black coffee and apple pie, something my grandpa might like. You can find a slight wine influence, though the flavor profile leans much more towards a darker flavor profile. A nice lingering finish, some tabacco and oak. Theres quite a bit on the nose. Some citrus and breadiness to it. Its a solid pour, and for the price I'd buy it again.

This is growing on me and will continue to Im sure. Cherry, sweet caramel, and pepper on the nose. Its packed with flavor and heavy spice. Dark notes on the front end. Oak, chocolate, spice and burn soon go into more oak along with a bit of interest salty note. It finishes with oak, some tobacco, orange and continued spice. It really stays on the palate for some time. I can imagine returning to this bottle as it opens and being even more impressed.