Review: George Dickel Bourbon 18 Years Old

Old Dickel whiskey has become a regular occurrence in recent years, with ages of 13, 15, and 17 years old hitting the market. Now Dickel’s one-upping itself with an even older expression at 18 years old. It’s important to note that this is marketed as an extension to its Bourbon line — not its Tennessee Whiskeys — which began with Dickel Bourbon 8 Years Old. Like other Dickel products, this is made from a mashbill of 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley. It’s unclear whether this product has gone through the Lincoln County charcoal mellowing process, which is required to label a product Tennessee Whiskey.

As with Dickel 8, this 18 year old is a very sweet whiskey, offering a bright and fruity nose of banana, applesauce, and a bit of mint. There’s ample vanilla and butterscotch here, with a bit of chocolate. Touches of barrel char are present but offer a pleasant counterbalance — possibly a required counterbalance — to the fruitier, sweeter qualities. The sweetness dominates the palate, with loads of vanilla, cola, and some marzipan notes present. Hints of flamed orange peel recall the fruit on the nose, but spin it a different way, with just a hint of bitterness and a green herb quality lingering.

While very sweet, it lacks that overblown tooth-killing quality of Dickel 8, tempered by those extra 10 years in barrel. It’s delightfully drinkable yet straightforward in construction and only modestly complex, leaving a touch of char on the finish that the younger Dickel Bourbon lacks. That’s all great — this is certainly a more interesting product — but is it a $510 unicorn that will change your life?

That answer is left as an exercise for the reader.

90 proof.

B+ / $510 / georgedickel.com 

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