George Dickel 8 Year Bourbon

Very sweet with bitterness that grows over time. Like the sweetness of Sugar Smacks that has a little something that undermines the sugar power. Left at the end with bit more of that bitterness than I’m used to but it could just be because of the contrast to the sweetness with which the sip begins.

George Dickel is primarily a Tennessee whisky distiller, though in my view Tennessee whisky is a variety of bourbon. However, they label this bottle as bourbon - from what I've read, because it comes from barrels that don't fit their standard profile. It goes through the exact same Lincoln County process as Dickel Tennessee whisky, but when picking barrels these went to the bourbon line while the rest become Tennessee whisky. This stuff is 90 proof and eight years old. A fifth cost me $31.99 at Kelly Liquors. The color in the glass is copper gold. NOSE: The nose is the best part of this whisky. It begins with corn sweetness, then brings in a little honey, something musty and warm, a faint nuttiness (but not the pecan note that I associate with Dickel juice, and which was present when I first opened the bottle), and vanilla buttercream icing. MOUTHFEEL: Thin but soft. TASTE: All I got from this glass was honey. FINISH: The finish is also a single note - oak - and is just shy of being medium length. SUMMARY: I've waited for this stuff to get better as it interacts with air, but it never did. Indeed, it lost the signature Dickel pecan note that I like. This bourbon is little if any better than Jim Beam. I won't buy it again. RATING: On my hick scale there are eight levels, 1 being the lowest and 8 the highest. This juice comes in at 2, which I call Poor. That's the same as 1.25 stars, 25/100, or 2.5/10.