George Dickel 8 Year Bourbon

Alcohol and spice with a hint of sweet/vanilla. Not much complexity

Blended to enhance traditional "Bourbon" flavors and profile, this new offering is a fantastic value at 8yrs and around $35. Compared to one of their Bottled in Bond releases, the signature Dickel flavor is turned down from an 11 in the BiB No.1 to a nice, tame 4 in the Bourbon. The range though. The range of flavors and depth you find in this bottle, at retail price, is awesome. Try it y'all ;)

GEORGE DICKEL 8YR BOURBON NOSE: Oak Heavy. Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, Pastry, and Dried Corn. Pencil Shavings and Black Pepper in the Background. There is a small jolt of Heat. Give it some time though, and it becomes Richer and Fuller. First picking up a a WT'ish Barnyard Funk and then Sticky Maple Syrup and Pecans like a Homemade Sticky Bun. NEAT: Lots of Oak up front. Light Vanilla. Cinnamon, Maple, Pecan. All combining to resemble Pralines or the Light Brown "Brown Sugar Fudge" that my Grandmother used to make. A little on the Thin Side, but not overly so. Slightly Tannic with a Drying Finish. The Pencil Shavings from the nose show up on the Coating Aftertaste along with a Light Maple Sweetness. A very light KY(TN)Hug. It drinks a little milder than its 90 Proof. SPLASH: The only discernible change is a hint of syrupy Canned Fruit Cocktail which I enjoyed so much in the first GDBIB release. VERDICT: In a word DELICIOUS. I was hoping when I saw the press release for this one that it would be an entirely different animal from their TN Whisky. Perhaps skipping the Lincoln County Process? Instead, Dickel's Star Master Distiller Nicole Austin, chose barrels from their regular stocks that had a more "Bourbon-y" profile than their standard releases. If memory serves, she has succeeded as I get absolutely none of the Banana or Flintstone Vitamin I associate with the standard No.8 & No.12. I am definitely looking forward to doing a flight of the three. If there is a quibble here (and it's a small one), it is a tick on the thin side. Extra Points for the $33 price tag. Nicole Austin? Keep up the great work. Dickel? Whatever it takes to keep Austin on board, you'd better do it.

The corn is definitely present on the nose and the palate. Nose has subtle green apple and vanilla. Palate,again, has a ton of corn with some baking spice, oak and a touch of maple syrup. Finish is smooth with a gentle hug and lingering rye. Definitely better than the Dickel No. 8… for the price, it’s pretty good.