George Dickel 9 Year Hand Selected Barrel

This is phenomenally good. Love me a good, aged, well-chosen Barrel of TN whiskey!

I get a hint of cupcake on the nose, and some floral notes on the palate. It's pretty ok.

Blind tasting - 1.0 oz neat in a Glencairn George Dickel 11Y Bottled-in-Bond (Fall 2008) (50%, open 1.5 weeks, $35.95 in NC) George Dickel 9Y Hand Selected Barrel - bottle no. 114 bottled in 2018 for Cole Swindell & Carolina Country Music Festival (51.5%, open 1 month, $51.99 in SC) Color: Identical amber brown hue Nose: A - Strong spice up front with nutmeg and cinnamon, medium ethanol with big whiff, light oak sweetness compared to whiskey B, grainy corn dust note 7.5/10 B - Smells older than whiskey A, more bold oak influence with hefty dose of sweet baking spices, lighter ethanol notes, corn dust note is muted 7.5/10 Palate: A - Bright corn and hint of citrus, tannic, stronger oak and ethanol compared to whiskey B, spices more muted compared to whiskey B 6.5/10 B - Sweet oak spice, medium tannic oak, bready dessert a la bread pudding 8/10 Finish A - Medium finish, ethanol and tannins less prominent than on tongue, sweet spicy oak builds, kind of opposite to whiskey B 7.5/10 B - Medium to long finish, ethanol and oak tannin build towards the end, baking spices and sweetness more muted than on tongue 7/10 Drinkability: A - 8/10 B - 8.5/10 Total score: A = 29.5/40 B = 31/40 A = George Dickel 11Y Bottled-in-Bond (Fall 2008) B = George Dickel 9Y Hand Selected Barrel I picked up a Hand Selected Barrel for the first time on a trip to SC, a bottle I've never seen in NC. There were at least 6 of these bottles from 2018 covered in dust, clearly people don't know what they're missing. I instantly loved this 9Y barrel and thought it was significantly better than the BiB 13Y released in 2019. When shopping with my brother last week they just opened a case of the new BiB 11Y so I grabbed it. The 11Y was a clear upgrade from the 13Y. I think with both the 9Y and 11Y, the younger whiskey improves the overall flavor. The edges are more rounded, while the 13Y was a bit too oaky and tannic but still enjoyable nonetheless. Both my brother and I did this blind, and we both liked the 9Y Hand Selected Barrel slightly more. Although it was extremely difficult to tell the difference. Honestly, the only thing I liked more with the 9Y were the sweeter notes on the nose and palate. In conclusion, these are both excellent Tennessee whiskeys and I think George Dickel knocked it out of the park with their 2nd annual BiB release. Additionally, it is commonly $10-15 cheaper than the Hand Selected Barrel, so you are definitely getting a great deal. Highly recommend both bottles.

Really enjoy this one. Smooth drinker with very little spice. Perfect with 1 small cube.