George Dickel x Leopold Bros Collaboration Blend (2021 Release)

Nose- super fragrant nose. There is a hint of fresh mint sprig, some peanut brittle, and then some more floral notes like lavender. I also get a bit of sweetness like creamed corn mixed with vanilla pods. The nose keeps giving up different notes with every minute it rests, and then every time I agitate the glass I get something different still. Palate- One word- BALANCE! Perhaps the most balanced Rye I have ever had. This is the "Miyagi Do" of Rye for me. If Mr. Miyagi were blending a Rye Whiskey, this would have been the one. Where there is a sweet fruit like apple, there is a lemon zest tartness, where there is an earthy peanut shell, there is bouquet of fresh meadow flowers. When I get a small hit of caraway seed, I also get crisp ginger. This is so well balanced. There is this even building on ethanol burn that the novice might even call this whiskey "smooth." In fact it is not "smooth" at all because it is so full of finish and has plenty of taste! It is just that the tastes are so well balanced that they fade into each other. To me smooth equates to tasteless and flat on the finish.....this is not that by any means. Don't call it smooth, polished maybe, flowing yes, balanced for sure. Finish- The finish is gift. It just keeps giving. I would say the most prominent ending notes are apple and a bit of clover honey. The warming is sensationally good from head to toe. Overall- This is a great blend of some excellent Rye barrels. Who might have thought that Dickel would have had Rye stock to blend with a craft pot still that is a throwback to pre-prohibition methods (3 chamber rye process). I hate the cost here. Over $100/ bottle for a blended yet bonded Rye from a craft distiller and a mass producer of Tennessee "love it or hate it" stuff???? It's a stretch to work yourself up to buy, a huge leap of faith, but it works. Having taken the jump in to buy a bottle I do not regret it. I have certainly done worse at greater investment. This one is a keeper.

The Nosing notes are all subtle and complex, ranging from leather, green apple, fresh cut grass to a lumber yard... it just keeps unfolding Palate of cinnamon rolls that coat the tongue with a bit of rye spice Finish is long pie crust and a bit of oak

Remember back in middle school, your science teacher would take the class out on a field trip to collect specimens to view under a microscope? You’d walk by a pond, fill a test tube, and bring it back to see what’s in there that’s invisible to the naked eye. Under the 1000x view of the microscope, you’d find a whole world in there. Amoebas. Paramecium. Tons of other Protozoa. Every where you look, it’s something different. And changing every time you even look in the same place. This is like that microscopic world. One of the few whiskeys I’ve had that changes at every aroma. I’m getting herbs and green apples on the nose. I put it down, come back to it a few seconds later, and now I’m getting leather , tabacco and oak. The palette isn’t quite the ride as the nose, unfortunately. It’s apples and caraway seeds. Really a well done collaboration. Two ryes, made two different ways. And the first rye made by Dickel as well. Unfortunately we don’t know what percent is Dickel or Leopold, but honestly, not sure it matters. Thanks immensely to @ctbeck11 for a generous pour. Around my neck of the woods, this is $100…and at that price, it’s a definite buy. This is one of those that you don’t want to rush into tasting, but just nose the kaleidoscope of aromas. That itself is worth the price of admission.

Sweetness on the nose. Cinnamon and baking spice. Rye is not heavy (in a good way). Tastes like a very well made product - very smooth and balanced. The finish leaves a tingle on the tongue, but still very smooth and drinkable at the same time. Reminds me of a Knob Creek product with the peanut-y finish.

N: Fresh dill and other green herbs. Cherry cough syrup. Lots of other medicinal notes. Chocolate starts to appear with time and some swirls. Then caramel and rye bread notes. Cereal grains, citrus, maybe a tangerine. It's a slow nose, seemingly developing and revealing more the longer it's in the glass. P: Rye grain with cherry syrup coating the sides of the tongue. Very medicinal, very earthy. Maybe a spritz of pine needles. Something nutty, almost like an unsweetened marzipan. Definitely has some oak tannins and bitterness in the mid palate. Finish is more oak, bitterness, and medium heat. Little bit of the green herbs and citrus, white tea, and something like a dried sourdough bread or cracker. This has a lot going on, but most of it is really not in my wheelhouse. The green herbs and the bitterness overpower the things I like in this. It's almost like an IPA translated to rye whiskey. I say almost, because I think I would like that. This, however, I am not so much a fan of. Swap the green herbs for pine and cut the bitterness a little with some malt sweetness and this gets there (for me). But that's not what this is, and generally I favor malty, rich, sweet, Christmas spiced ryes. Objectively, I have to say this is plenty complicated and gives plenty to think about. That's always a good thing. But I don't think it's complex and interesting enough to justify its hype or its price. _______ Please come join a bunch of regular Distiller reviewers are chatting spirits in real time on Discord: https://discord.gg/4nfePCdyKM. (If the link is expired, post a comment and I will post a new one.)

Floral with baking spice. Very easily to drink with a low burn finish with lots of flavor