Tastes

It tastes like dill pickles. Weird. Edit: I've give a better review, but this stuff is still weird. It's a very floral rye, not deep or rich. Foral almost like a Bulleit rye.The charcoal mellowing process is one that I'd imagine to bring a rich wood and char flavor but it just mellows it out and makes it almost like a syrup (if that makes sense). The George Dickel Bourbon expresses that mellowness even more. Now for my comment on the dill pickles. A few other people notice this too but we are all unique so maybe you won't notice it but for me, it smells exactly like dill pickle juice. And I soon as I noticed it, I can't get rid of it. It's not for me but that's the awesome thing about whiskey, its unique to the drinker. Some people love it and thats awesome! But it's too mellow, floral, and pickley for me. Give me some Knobb creek rye over this.

Get ready for the peat! But there is so much character and body beyond that. The salt, the brine, the smoke, the salt, the vanilla. It's like smelling an old bonfire on a beach in Oregon. If you've never been to the Pacific Northwest, then you'll really never understand the flavor profile because it really does taste like you're standing 10 feet from the ocean. It's wonderful.

Reading reviews I thought this was going to be a peat bomb. Maybe I've had so many peated drams that my palate has adjusted to them. The big flavor I get is BBQ brisket. It's meaty in flavor AND in body. As you taste, you get that deeeeep smoke and meat, but then it lifts off you and get vanilla and those lighter scotch flavors. Which totally blew my mind. I was not expecting it but I love it because it's so smooth. Complex, exciting, and delicious. Highly recommend.

Much more peated than the red or green. And I LOVE the peat flavor in this. It's very balanced. The smoke isn't as aggressive as Laphroaig 10yr, which works really well in this. However, the grain whisky is too strong and really hurts the flavor profile. Because as you drink you immediately hit that wonderful smoke BUT then it's goes to that hard grain whisky flavor which it ruins the finish (at least for me). I haven't tried the double black but I am interested to see how it compares.

For being peated, I don't get the peat you'd usually find in the JW Black. But that's not a bad thing. The smoke is still there but not as pronounced. It adds a body that gives the dram an expensive taste. It's complex and thus, requires the patience to really enjoy it. It's first light with vanilla, fruit, and apple. But the smoke and warm body come up behind for the finish. It's really good. Like REALLY good.