George Dickel No. 12 Tennessee Whisky Impressions

What is it? 

Distillery: George A. Dickel & Co., Tennessee, USA

Name: George Dickel No. 12 Tennessee Whisky (note no 'e')

Make: Tennessee Whiskey (note the 'e')

Extra Info: A Tennessee Whiskey is a Bourbon that has undergone the additional step of charcoal mellowing, or the 'Lincoln County process'. Traditionally, charcoal is made on-site by open-air burning stacks of sugar maple wood billets. The charcoal goes into a mellowing vat on top of a white wool blanket that filters out any particulate matter. Whiskey Trivia - George Dickel actually use two wool blankets, one on the top and one on the bottom.

Why did I buy it?

I bought this because it is a Tennessee Whiskey and not Jack Daniels. I have nothing against Jack Daniels, I just wanted to try the other Tennessee Whiskey.

What did I think of it?

Presentation: The bottle has a long neck, almost half the height of the squat bottle. It is made from clear glass with 'George Dickel' embossed on the shoulder. I love the label on this bottle; it looks like something straight out of the Wild West. Very cool. The whiskey has no age statement but it is claimed to be aged 'years longer' than George Dickel No. 8. Importantly, the '12' in the name does not mean it has been aged for 12 years.

Appearance: Dark golden orange in colour. There is no indication of e150 caramel colouring being added, but it does say 'chill-filtered' on the label; so is Jack Daniels.

Aroma: Sweet, lots of vanilla and a bit of caramel. Hint of spice.

Flavour: Smooth and sweet with a sudden hit of spice on the top of the mouth. Flavours of vanilla and oak spice. No smoke, but kind of a sweet burnt caramel in there somewhere. Most people would probably drink this with a mixer or on ice (which is fine) but that will change what it tastes like obviously. Personally, I usually drink this straight over ice. 

Finish: Very long bourbon aftertaste, with fading spice.

Would I buy it again?

Yes, I love drinking this over ice on a hot evening or as a Highball (with soda water). I think it both smells and tastes great. If you are a Jack Daniels drinker but have never tried George Dickel, I would add this to the top of your wish list. I am very keen to try the other expressions in the George Dickel range.

Disclaimer: I do not claim to have the nose and palate of a Master Sommelier, however, I am working to train my senses to better identify whisky aromas and flavours. Consider all my whisky 'Impressions' to be a work in progress and I hope to come back to each of them in the future to see if I notice anything different. Most importantly, I'm not just throwing around random aromas, flavours and adjectives for the hell of it; I am trying really hard to critically describe each whisky I taste - WhiskyDad.