BACKGROUND: First produced in 1964, George Dickel has always been the Jan Brady to the Marsha known as Jack Daniel’s. In fact, the brand was started after Schenley Distilling Company attempted and failed to purchase Jack Daniel’s and decided, instead, to create a competitor. Unlike the popular Old No. 7, however, Dickel has struggled in the market at times, and, when its supply of whiskey exceeded its demand in the 1990s, production at the distillery was completely shut down until later resuming operations in 2003. George Dickel, the whiskey’s namesake, was a German immigrant who operated a liquor store in Nashville from the mid-to-late 1800s. A rectifier, he bought whiskey from several distilleries, mingled them together, bottled them under another name, and sold them in his store. He tended to like the whiskey from the nearby Cascade Distillery and ended up buying that whiskey exclusively. Eventually acquiring a controlling interest in the distillery, Dickel sold its product as “Cascade Whisky-Mellow As Moonlight.” In the 1960s, when Schenley built a production facility near the site of the original distillery that Dickel had owned in Cascade Hollow, located near Tullahoma, the new brand was named after him. The Barrel Select has always been considered the top shelf offering of the Dickel brand, and, according to the distillery, each distinct batch is made from a blend of just ten barrels that are handpicked by the master distiller after aging between 10 to 12 years. NOSE: The Barrel Select offers a delightful nose that smells exactly like buttered popcorn. Bananas and caramel are present, as well, along with the omnipresent scent of Flintstones chewable vitamins for which Dickel is universally known - and which I actually enjoy. PALATE: A great cornbread flavor jumps first onto the palate and is followed with traditional caramel and oak notes. The Flintstones vitamin that is present on the nose transfers into the same flavor reminiscent from childhood, and, again, I find it oddly pleasurable. FINISH: The Barrel Select finishes much hotter than an 86 proof whiskey and offers just a brief pop of rye spice on the finish. The corn, caramel, and oak flavors stick around and take some time to dissipate. FINAL ASSESSMENT: And old and politically incorrect joke goes - What do mopeds and fat chicks have in common? They’re both fun to ride until your friends catch you on top of one. That joke pretty much sums up my feelings about George Dickel products. I enjoy the Dickel brand and understand that many whiskey “connoisseurs” will subject me to much ridicule and derision for publicly stating as much. That reaction is prompted, in my opinion, by the fact that many judge Dickel products based upon their own preconceived notions of the brand rather than by the merits of the whiskey in the glass. Though only 86 proof - I tend to like my brown juice with a little higher octane - the Barrel Select is a perfectly balanced and pleasing whiskey that would make an excellent daily sipper.