George Dickel Tour

[BTshorty]

Of all the distilleries, wineries and breweries I have been to Dickel is my favorite.

My wife and I had a tour of just us and the young Lady showing us around was both enthusiastic and knowledgeable.

Just getting to the place was fun.

[cowdery]

I haven't been but have heard nothing but good things. It's a shame so few people who go there for Daniel's don't also go to Dickel, as it's very close and a different but fine experience.

[TunnelTiger]

It is very easy to visit both in a couple of hours. Knowing they are both part of large corporations the JD tour/visit feels that way. GD on the other hand just feels homey.

[393foureyedfox]

I stopped in there on my way to FL last week. Heres some of what I was told on the tour ( in addition to above comments ), feel free to agree with or negate it, and why...

1, the mash is 84/8/8. all the corn is local, the 8/8 is from the Dakotas, because those wont grow here

2, all the water used for fermenting and cutting proof is unfiltered from the spring

3, the distillation is done up to 130 proof

4, after distillation, spring water is used to cut it to 115 proof

5, after cutting to 115, its filtered through a 13' layer of virgin wool and charcoal made at the plant

6, the charcoal is made from sugar maple that is only cut down in the winter when sap is low

7, Dickel 1 is unaged

8, Dickel 8 is 5-7 years old

9, Dickel 12 is 6-8 years old

10, Dickel Barrel Select is 8-12 years old

11, The gift shop sells 60% of all the Barrel select made

12, the 9 and 14 year are all kept in a small stone walled 'rickroom' awaiting store selections. Id estimate there were 150 barrels in there

13, the 9 and 14 year are expected to continue, but theres not a lot of 14 year product in stock

it was a very cool place to see. Right in the middle of nowhere, and completely non-mechanized. I had read that its pretty much as it was when reopened in '59, but was still surprised to see it. They were down for a 2 week maintenance when I was there, so I didnt get to see any measuring, milling, weighing, fermenting, etc. The place was tiny by comparison to the big distillers, but seemed a respecable craft rather than a machine. At the end (of the paid $10 tour - there is no tasting on the free tour), we were given #1, #8, #12, and Barrel Select. I thought the #1 was like an alcoholic yeast roll; not bad, but still, im not going to pay more for an unaged product.

I also asked about the rye. I was told (correct this if its wrong, Im just saying what I was told) that the rye is made in indiana, because with such a small operation, and since all their other offerings are the same distillate to begin with, that to do a rye batch there would require shutdown and scrubbing of all the equipment before and after batches to avoid cross-contamination, that they chose to just have it contract distilled. What I'm unsure about though, is that I was told that the master distiller goes up to LDI a few times a year to oversee the distillation, and they use their own Dickel yeast in the LDI rye fermentation. Id not heard that before. It was said that it comes in from IN in a tanker, is charcoal filtered, and put right into barrels to age, I think they said 5 years.

so, there. lots of recent tour info. I recommend going, its such a stark contrast to the industrial competition.

Edited July 11, 2014 by 393foureyedfox

[393foureyedfox]

It's a shame so few people who go there for Daniel's don't also go to Dickel, as it's very close and a different but fine experience.

I went to Dickel, but had no interest in seeing JD

Jack outsells George 100 to 1.

I cant see how. I mean, I know its true, but i just dont get it.

[squire]

I've visited both and prefer Dickel by a large margin.

[tanstaafl2]

I also asked about the rye. I was told (correct this if its wrong, Im just saying what I was told) that the rye is made in indiana, because with such a small operation, and since all their other offerings are the same distillate to begin with, that to do a rye batch there would require shutdown and scrubbing of all the equipment before and after batches to avoid cross-contamination, that they chose to just have it contract distilled. What I'm unsure about though, is that I was told that the master distiller goes up to LDI a few times a year to oversee the distillation, and they use their own Dickel yeast in the LDI rye fermentation. Id not heard that before. It was said that it comes in from IN in a tanker, is charcoal filtered, and put right into barrels to age, I think they said 5 years.

I have been told and read that the rye never gets to Tennessee (it also doesn't say Tennessee anywhere on the bottle that I recall). Instead the barrels age at MGPI and then are sent, presumably by tanker, to the Diageo bottling plant in Illinois where it is first run through the maple charcoal (which has been shipped up to the bottling plant from Dickel in Tennessee) before being bottled. How much direct involvement Diageo has in distilling the whiskey and using their own yeast is anybody's guess I suppose as distillery employees don't always prove to be the best source of information...

This is of course different from the new make whiskey from the Dickel distillery which is filter first and then barreled and aged.

Exactly where it is barreled and aged is something of an ongoing dispute of course!

[cowdery]

I stopped in there on my way to FL last week. Heres some of what I was told on the tour ( in addition to above comments ), feel free to agree with or negate it, and why...

Virtually all correct as far as I know and thank you for such thorough documentation. You put the tour guide through his/her paces.

The only thing I have a problem with is the 13 feet of virgin wool and charcoal. Did you see that? I've heard their charcoal beds are about three feet thick, as opposed to ten for Jack, but I've never heard anything about virgin wool being a filtering medium there or anyplace else.

It's true that the rye is made at MGP of Indiana. Dickel's explanation of why is somewhat disingenuous. The only thing Tennessee about the rye is that the charcoal they use to filter it is the same charcoal they use for the Tennessee whiskey. It is made in Tennessee and shipped to Plainfield, Illinois, where the product is filtered before it is bottled.

Edited July 12, 2014 by cowdery

[squire]

I've seen the vats at Dickel and they were at least 10 feet deep but that was close to 25 years ago, don't know what they use now. I believe the 3 foot comment is because Dickel layers (or they did) the charcoal with a virgin wool blanket at three feet intervals. Dave Backus told me they did that because the wool helped evenly distribute the new distillate better throughout the charcoal and because Ralph Dupps taught him to do it that way.

[tanstaafl2]

I've seen the vats at Dickel and they were at least 10 feet deep but that was close to 25 years ago, don't know what they use now. I believe the 3 foot comment is because Dickel layers (or they did) the charcoal with a virgin wool blanket at three feet intervals. Dave Backus told me they did that because the wool helped evenly distribute the new distillate better throughout the charcoal and because Ralph Dupps taught him to do it that way.

I did the tour about 6 months ago and the charcoal tower was still about 10 feet tall as I recall. They said they used the wool blanket as you describe for the reasons you note on my tour as well. I seem to recall one (Dickel or JD) uses a single blanket at the top and the other uses 2 blankets (top and bottom?) but I forget which is which. I think Dickel used the 2.

[tanstaafl2]

I did the tour about 6 months ago and the charcoal tower was still about 10 feet tall as I recall. They said they used the wool blanket as you describe for the reasons you note on my tour as well. I seem to recall one (Dickel or JD) uses a single blanket at the top and the other uses 2 blankets (top and bottom?) but I forget which is which. I think Dickel used the 2.

Brad/Biskuit reports 13 feet and metal plates in addition to the wool blankets for Dickel in this post from 2011.

Thought I had a picture from my tour in February but can't find it at the moment.

[393foureyedfox]

Brad/Biskuit reports 13 feet and metal plates in addition to the wool blankets for Dickel in this post from 2011.

thats what we were told. 2 wool blankets, 13' thick layer of charcoal, perforated metal plates to filter out large particulate/charcoal. I saw the diameter of the plates, but not the height of the vat for charcoal filtering....Im just going by the 13' i heard.

i found the most confusion in the rye story. filtered in TN, IN, or elsewhere? bottled where? aged how long? Dickel yeast used in fermentation or not? All that, Id like to know more about.

[cowdery]

I explained the rye above, but here it is again. Distilled and aged in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Dumped there and shipped to Plainfield, Illinois. Charcoal is made in Tennessee, same as all the other charcoal for Dickel, but it too is shipped to Plainfield, Illinois. There the filtering is performed. (No idea how thick the beds are or if old Army blankets are involved) There (Plainfield) also the bottling is done. From there it is shipped to a bar or store near you.

[TunnelTiger]

And for the price it sells for an excellent value rye. Especially in Manhattans and Old Fashions.