When someone told me that George Dickel Rye Whiskey was an amazing rye at $20, I was skeptical. I bold this, because most people associate Dickel with a particular flavor of minerality that is occasionally construed as ‘Flintstone’s Vitamins’. This doesn’t sound like the kind of thing you’d want in a Fancy Free or Manhattan. Yet, somehow, amazingly, George Dickel Rye became one of my breakout bottles of 2022, and possibly became the top rye we’d recommend for your bar.
George Dickel Rye Whiskey
Distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana at 95% Rye – 5% Malted Barley, George Dickel Rye Whiskey is an MGP product. It does however go through a charcoal mellowing process where it’s filtered through maple charcoal to finish it. The specifics of where the aging actually occurs is fairly vague, however it is aged in a char #4 barrel with a #2 head. The proof is 90 (45% A.B.V.)
Sight: Amber
Smell: Vanilla, minerality, and dill jump out from the start. There are notes like fresh plums and carrot juice. There’s a bit of caramel going on here as well and maybe some orange marmalade.
Sip: The palate is light with honeyed sweet, vanilla, and dill coming right out. There are pleasant notes of spice, oak, and tobacco. The palate isn’t incredibly complex, but it is warm and inviting in it’s spicing and has a telltale minerality and orange chalk candy note.
Savor: The ending pulls in more dill, vanilla, and a good amount of minerality. It lingers gently.
George Dickel Rye Whiskey is tasty if a little straightforward for drinking on it’s own. The flavors have a minerality that compliments the vanilla and dill characteristics. The other notes are more fleeting but not unpleasant. Overall, it’s tasty, but not the more in depth rye ever.
In Cocktails
George Dickel Rye Whiskey plays well in a Manhattan adding it’s vanilla and herbal notes with a bit of spice. The sweetness also works well with the fruitiness in the vermouth. The finish is spiced, honeyed, and with a little bit of minerality. Overall, it’s a decent Manhattan that won’t have anyone writing home about it. Combine this with the love it or hate it reputation of Dickel, and it’s a polarizing a choice if it’s the only rye in your bar.
It’s worth talking about the amazing depth that it adds in the right context. Where more brown sugar forward ryes don’t pop in the Fancy Free, Dickel is positively eye opening. The minerality, herbal notes, and spice burst beautifully with the orange and maraschino. Again, this is a particular application, so we don’t recommend this as an indicator of versatility.
In Review – George Dickel Rye Whiskey
George Dickel Rye Whiskey is a wonderful choice of rye whiskey with a characteristically Dickel slant. The Dickel characteristic is really the tipping point of the value of this. If you find you like charcoal mellowed whiskies, this could make for an amazing bar addition, and a rye we absolutely recommend you try once. If you’re not a fan of those flavors, this might be a struggle even at $20. All that said, we recommend you at least try it and consider stocking your bar with it.
