George Dickel Single Barrel 7234K1002 is another stellar example of the beauty of George Dickel and ability of the Davids to pick fine casks of whiskey. Which I’ll let them tell you all about right now.
In K&L’s Words: George Dickel Single Barrel 7234K1002
“When you talk to passionate Bourbon drinkers today, most of them are looking for the rich, sweet, bold flavored, high proof editions that seem to have completely evaporated from today’s market. Part of the reason the Van Winkle expressions (and the Weller Bourbons by default) became so beloved, besides the pull of pop culture, has to do with their sweeter profile due to the lack of rye grain in the mashbill as a balance.
While not technically categorized as Bourbon (Dickel does by Tennessee whiskey even though it qualifies as such), the distillery’s high corn, low rye mash of 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley results in a whiskey brimming with sweetness with less of the peppery and herbaceous elements. The only thing that’s ever kept Dickel from becoming the next big thing in the American whiskey scene is the low proof, but that’s where the company’s single barrel program comes in: each K&L selected single cask of Dickel comes with a 9 year old aged statement and a 51.5% ABV, dialing up the sweetness and sending serious Bourbon fans into a frenzy.
Barrel #1002 is for oak fiends who looked for the heaviest, most saturated single casks for their next needed fix. The profile begins with huge aromas of wood and polish and the oak simply explodes on the midpalate with the higher proof dialing it up on the finish. The corny sweetness does its best to penetrate the surface, but it keeps getting punched down by endless amounts of char and oak spice. It’s a monster!”
High proofed oak heavy Dickel here we come. On to the George Dickel Single Barrel 7234K1002 reveiw!
George Dickel Single Barrel 7234K1002 Info
Region: Tennessee, USA
Distiller: George Dickel
Mashbill: 84% Corn, 8% Rye & 8 % Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: 9 Years
ABV: 51.5%
Barrel: 7234K1002
Bottle: 153
Price: $45
George Dickel Single Barrel 7234K1002 Review
EYE
Caramel
NOSE
Vanilla marshmallow, oak, milk chocolate, toasted corn, dark fruit, spice and bits of toffee and hay.
PALATE
Oak, vanilla marshmallow, milk chocolate, toasted corn, cinnamon, nutmeg and bits of toffee and ashy char.
FINISH
Med -> Vanilla, milk chocolate and toasted corn.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Good sense of balance, medium body and a soft warm feel.
OVERALL
George Dickel Single Barrel 7234K1002 is delightful. You have a vanilla marshmallow and milk chocolate sweetness getting evened out with a strong sense of oak which makes it balanced and alluring; kinda like a s’more, but with charred oak instead of graham crackers. Then there’s that strong corn-heavy Dickel character filling out the background. All around good stuff.
SCORE: 87/100 (B+)
