Time is a crazy thing right now. As I was deciding what to talk about tonight, I said to my wife “I don’t know what to say, it’s been a year since I wrote something.”
Yeah. Obviously, it’s only been a week. But like I said time is crazy right now for everyone. I heard someone say recently “you know four, five years ago back in 2019.” I’ve also heard the time since the pandemic started described as “the fastest decade of my life.” And both of these felt right to me. The time seems to be simultaneously flying by and taking forever to pass.
But no matter how long ago it feels like, last year George Dickel introduced a new product. The initial George Dickel Bottled in Bond was a 13-year-old bonded whiskey, distilled in Fall 2005. It was released to great acclaim, becoming Whisky Advocate’s 2019 “Whisky of the Year.” It was also pretty impossible to find. At least here in Minnesota. And since I’ve been off the Diageo sample list for a while now—maybe because I gave a poor review to the Dickel Tobasco and most of the Orphan Barrels, maybe because I publically said I couldn’t endorse Bulleit anymore, I literally don’t know—I never got my hands on one.
Anyway, I was pretty stoked when I walked into my local corner liquor store and saw the blue bottle sitting on one of the lower shelves. The Dickel releases that I’ve liked best have been higher proof and higher age. And 100 proof and now 11-years-old seemed like it would fit the bill pretty well.
George Dickel Bottled in Bond No. 2
Purchase Info: $37.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Viking Liquor, Prior Lake, MN
Price per Drink (50mL): $2.53
Details: 11 years old. 50% ABV. Fall 2008 distilling season.
Nose: Cotton candy, cherry, caramel, baking spice, and a mineral note.
Mouth: Sweet with a nice tingle. Caramel, cherry, cinnamon, clove, and oak.
Finish: Medium length and heat. Strong notes of cinnamon and dusty oak.
Thoughts: Let's just say that between the time I did the tasting and now, I ran back to the store and bought two more of these. It isn't a once in a lifetime kind of whiskey by any stretch of the imagination but it is a step up from a daily drinker. And at $40 per bottle, the price reflects that.
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