George Dickel 17 Year Old Reserve Tennessee Whisky

As smooth as Tennessee Whisky gets.

Trailing the breadcrumbs to his American Dream, a German-born merchant named George Dickel immigrated to the United States in 1844. Making his way up the chain, he lay down the first stones of George A. Dickel and Company in Cascade Hollow, Tennessee. He was quite a peculiar guy, insisting on the traditional Scottish spelling of Whisky (the “e” is silent), distinguishing himself from other local businesses while at the same time chiseling his name right next to the world’s finest Scotch producers. He also liked his Whiskies distilled in the wintertime because he believed that made them smoother – again making the product an exception, as it was the only Tennessee Whisky that was chilled before being put in the charcoal-mellowing vats. And well, it was marketed to be just as “Mellow as Moonlight,” so that must count for something. Peculiar we said, not unwise.

Their new 17-year-old is based on a traditional Dickel recipe, consisting of 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley. Filtered through sugar maple charcoal, then aged in the hidden, time-forgotten barrels of Bourbon, the end result is a superb mixture of balance and complexity. Bottled at 92 proof, this fabulous-tasting Whisky is a very rare one, infused with the quintessential Dickel character and neatly layered with tastes of toffee, peppery spice, and charred oak. “