George Dickel 13 Year Bottled in Bond Tennessee Whisky (Fall 2005)

Nose is upfront minerals, followed my mellow sweetness of corn and maple syrup. The palate is peppery, with dark fruits, vanilla, and caramel. A very nice finish that lingers. I love it.

Similar to JD but with a longer finish. Nice warm feeling in the chest.

This finally hit NC. As a fan of all things Cascade Hollow, this has been my most anticipated release this year. Let's see if it lives up to my expectations. It pours into the Glencairn with an amber tending toward orangish hue. After a quick swirl, it takes forever to form small slow moving legs. NOSE: You are immediately hit with Corn and that trademark Flintstone Chewable Vitamin Note, but both of those fade rather quickly to be replaced by Strong Barrel Charred Oak, Vanilla, Sugary Confections like Candy Corn or Marshmallow, and Grilled Fruit (maybe Peach and Pineapple?). The longer it sits the better it gets, eventually picking up a savory note of Smoked Pork. This is a bold nose. The notes aren't subtle, they are definitely in your face. Oddly, if the usual banana note is there, I'm completely missing it. NEAT: Thick and Clingy. Again, Bold is the key word here. Not overly complex at first, dominated by Oak Tannins. Subsequent sips bring notes of Syrupy Fruit (like one of those fruit cocktail cups), those Wet Walnuts that you top ice cream with, Vanilla and more slightly Bitter Oak. Slightly drying finish with just the right amount of heat. It is very clingy and your tongue is coated with the Syrupy Fruit and Charred Oak that hangs on well past the time that you're ready for another sip giving the flavor a building or cumulative effect. The more you drink, the better it gets. Again, the banana note so prevalent in the 12 presents more as fruit cocktail with the extra age. SPLASH: A few drops of water changes the fruit on the nose to Fruity Pebbles Cereal (what is it with Dickel and the Flintstones?). Brings a little more balance to the palate by reducing the Bitter Tannins and accentuating the Sweeter Oak Notes. The Syrupy Fruit Note remains, now joined by a hint of Mint. The nose on the empty glass was amazing. All gooey caramel, burnt sugar and baked apples. VERDICT: A little overwhelming at first, but spend some time with it and man does it deliver. As expected for thirteen years, very oak driven but some water removes the bitter tannins if they do not agree with your palate. The sweet notes combined with the thick clingy character would make this a perfect post dinner pour. All of that for $36. Dickel has hit a homerun with this one, and I'm hoping there are more reasonably priced releases on the way from Cascade Hollow.

George Dickel Bottle In Bond is just a hint darker than the George Dickel 12. I would think it would be darker since it is a 13 year old whiskey. It has a smell caramel and corn and some alcohol aroma. The mouthfeel is definitely better. The taste is of caramel and corn with brown sugar. The finish is medium. It goes down very easy even though it is 100 proof, it seems as smooth as the George Dickel 12. It does have that trademark mineraly taste that many do not like, but I do. If you like the regular George Dickel 12 you will certainly like the Bottle in Bond version. This is an amazing bargain at 36 bucks for a 100 proof whiskey.