BACKGROUND: Perhaps no recent event has resulted in as much vehement anger and division among bourbon aficionados as Whisky Advocate magazine’s decision to name George Dickel 13-Year Bottled-in-Bond as its 2019 “Whisky of the Year” Almost immediately, some consumers and Dickel detractors claimed that the magazine’s decision was somehow “fixed” or intended as a reciprocal payback to spirits giant Diageo in return for the significant advertising dollars they spend within the publication’s pages. Whisky Advocate Executive Editor Jeffery Lindenmuth, though, has noted that all of the magazine’s tastings are conducted on a blind basis, and tasting coordinator Ted Simmons does not even tell participants what kind of whisky they are tasting (bourbon, scotch, Japanese, Irish, etc.), much less what brand. For a brief period following the magazine’s announcement, the Dickel 13-Year BiB was difficult to locate on store shelves in some areas, and various retailers were reported to have temporarily doubled the $35.99 retail price in response to the demand and curiosity. After conducting their own tastings, most independent Internet bloggers and YouTubers scratched their heads at the Whisky of the Year crowning and few, if any, agreed. When initially released in May of 2019, the 13-Year BiB was marketed as the first significant innovation of recently-hired Dickel distiller Nicole Austin, who said: “We wanted George Dickel Bottled in Bond to be rooted in authenticity, quality and truth, reflective of the values we feel are most important when making Tennessee’s finest whisky. The aged whisky stocks we have access to here at Cascade Hollow are absolutely beautiful, and it’s important to me that we create whisky that’s sure to be a great value for the quality you’re getting.” The bourb…er, I mean Tennessee whisky. . .has a mash bill of 84% corn, 8% rye and 8% malted barley. It is chill charcoal mellowed by filtering it through sugar-maple charcoal like the rest of the George Dickel Tennessee Whisky portfolio In addition to the "Whisky of the Year" nod, George Dickel Bottled in Bond earned a score of 95 on a scale of 100 from Wine Enthusiast Magazine and also took home a Gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. NOSE: George Dickel 13-Year BiB presents a wholly unique and memorable nose that includes scents of cornbread, oak, nuts, and pipe tobacco. The smell of Flintstones chewable vitamins that is commonplace in Dickel products, and one I oddly enjoy, is firmly present, as well. (Note: Spirits writer Fred Minnick attributes the oft-mentioned Flintstones smell to the yeast strain that Dickel uses in its fermentation tanks.) PALATE: Caramel, bananas, and oak dominate the palate. Cherries and a difficult-to-classify flavor more attributable to dark rum than to bourbon are present, as well. The mouth feel is both thin and oily, if that is possible. The palate is as distinct - or perhaps “quirky” is a better word - as the nose. FINISH: The finish is quite drying and tannic, but if I had spent 13 years encased in oak, I would likely be drying and tannic, too. An abundance of vanilla is present in the finish. Oddly, the heat in the finish is somewhat delayed, but once it gets kickstarted, it keeps going for a significant period. FINAL ASSESSMENT: The George Dickel 13-Year BiB offers a memorable tasting experience. I enjoy heavily oaked bourbons, and this one certainly fits the bill, but it is significantly more drying than most. Because of its uniqueness, I would not recommend this whisky as a daily sipper, but it is certainly worthy of being kept on hand and consumed whenever the mood for something “different” strikes.