Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/359372
august 2014 / the tasting panel / 99 august 2014 / the tasting panel / 99 GEORGE DICKEL RYE WHISKY In 1870, successful merchant and entrepreneur George Dickel opened his whisky distillery in Tullahoma, Tennessee. The location was surrounded by farms growing cereal grains—including rye and barley—and more importantly it was close to the pure, limestone waters of Cascade Hollow. Dickel proved to be an enormously capable distiller, and by 1904 his distillery had become the largest in Tennessee. George Dickel Rye Whisky is one of the distillery's most successful products. The whisky is made with the same mash bill—95 percent rye and 5 percent malted barley—that it was when it was first introduced. Likewise, the whisky is still-chilled just prior to being mellowed through sugar-maple charcoal. Dickel Rye is a vivacious, 90-proof whisky with a satiny body and the alluring aromas of cacao, cinnamon, nutmeg and honey. Its palate immediately fills the mouth with sumptuous flavors—toffee, nougat, honey and citrus zest—before fading to a spicy warm finish. "George Dickel is another all-American success story about how the little guy made good and turned his dream a reality. It's also a story about process: George Dickel is handmade, hands-on and handcrafted in a way that has changed very little over the years," notes Steve Beal, Senior Master of Whisky, Diageo North America. DIAGEO GEORGE DICKEL BARREL SELECT TENNESSEE WHISKY George Dickel Barrel Select Tennessee Whisky is a slice of life never to be repeated. Every year Master Distiller John Lunn goes through the ricks in the warehouse and carefully selects ten barrels whose contents have reached optimum maturity. The age of the whisky is between 10 and 14 years. The ten barrels selected constitute the entirety of the small batch. If pressed, Lunn could possibly find barrels whose whisky was similar in character to the previous batch, but it wouldn't be an exact match. "Barrel Select is the finest sipping whisky George Dickel has to offer," contends Senior Master of Whisky, Diageo North America, Steve Beal. "The whisky has a lush, round mouth- feel and caramel and vanilla notes. It has a broad palate of vanilla, caramel, nutty pecan and hints of coconut with a subtle overlay of freshly-milled corn. The finish is long and flavorful." George Dickel Barrel Select is a world-class whisky made in the backwoods of Tennessee. DIAGEO GEORGE DICKEL NO. 12 TENNESSEE WHISKY Founded shortly after the Civil War in Tullahoma, Tennessee, the George Dickel Distillery is among the great American distillers. The brand's standardbearer—George Dickel No. 12 Tennessee Whisky—is an iconic, 90-proof whisky distilled from corn, rye, barley and limestone-filtered water from Cascade Hollow. After aging between six to eight years in oak, the whisky is chilled and mellowed with sugar-maple charcoal, a technique perfected by George Dickel himself. According to Steve Beal, Senior Master of Whisky, Diageo North America, all of George Dickel Tennessee Whiskies are made from the same ingredients—grain, yeast and spring water—and in the same manner—slow and open fermentation, two-step distillation and then a slow, cool mellowing through locally-sourced and -produced sugar-maple charcoal. "George Dickel No. 12 is made with a selection of older whiskies to create deeper, more assertive flavors and an incredibly smooth finish. The taste is refined with hints of vanilla and a dry crisp finish—a result of our chilled charcoal-mellowing process." DIAGEO