Bluffhunter Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I know this is a straight bourbon forum, but at my local store there is a $5 mail in rebate per 750ml bottle on Dickel #12. Never had before, any comments on what bourbon is would closely match taste to? sweet or spicy, etc. With rebate could get it for $19.99. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
393foureyedfox Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 sounds like a deal. it's sweet and a little smoky, very distinct, and I know of nothing comparable to help you know what to expect.. id buy several if i saw the rebate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcgumbohead Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 It's a really good pour, grab some and enjoy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Bluff, you could compare it to Jack Daniels rather than a traditional Kentucky Bourbon. I like it very much for what it is and that's a good price so I suggest you take it home and then tell us what you think about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
393foureyedfox Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Bluff, you could compare it to Jack Daniels rather than a traditional Kentucky Bourbon. I like it very much for what it is and that's a good price so I suggest you take it home and then tell us what you think about it.before I was exposed to TN whiskies, I assumed that GD and JD would be similar, but found them nothing at all alike. Both are sweet, but GD is sooty-smoky, and JD is medicinal-chemically to me. But, I dont pick up on the whole 'vitamin' thing with GD either, so others may disagree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I really like it out of the freezer, its a "fun" whiskey, if that makes some sort of sense? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richnimrod Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I've found that all the Dickel's have that "green-apple/vitamin" under-taste (IMHO) to some degree.Many find 'em interesting, even tasty. They are not my cup of tea, but the quality seems consistent, and the price sounds good, so try it out. You may like it alot, or find it isn't in your wheelhouse. Either way, not a big investment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyOldKyDram Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Definitely get the vitamin thing here, and I for one enjoy it, save for the 14 yr old. It's so pronounced on that pour that it overshadows all of Dickels other charms. Haven't gone back to that one in awhile though, so a small taste may be in order tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
393foureyedfox Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I've found that all the Dickel's have that "green-apple/vitamin" under-taste Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richnimrod Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 green apple? Never heard that one before! I really dont get that one, especially since green-apple is the worst candy flavor ever, to me.I don't know how else to describe the unique taste/aroma I get from Dickel products. Maybe, with my admittedly poor sensory attributes, it just hits me wrong. The description is as close as I can come to what it reminds me of. Does Dickel make products that seem rather different than any other whiskey to you?... or maybe it's just me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
393foureyedfox Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 green apple? Never heard that one before! I really dont get that one, especially since green-apple is the worst candy flavor ever, to me.I don't know how else to describe the unique taste/aroma I get from Dickel products. Maybe, with my admittedly poor sensory attributes, it just hits me wrong. The description is as close as I can come to what it reminds me of. Does Dickel make products that seem rather different than any other whiskey to you?... or maybe it's just me.thats okay.....i absolutely dont get most of the descriptions used by bourbon connoisseurs to describe it. Blackberries? dried dark fruit? orange? grahm cracker? nutmeg? either some people are far more imaginative than I, or I just dont pick up on things that specific.I dont think Dickel compares to anything else on the shelf, it is a very peculiar profile that either you like it or you dont. I just wish they offered more varieties of their profile. the D12 90 proof is good, but a bit subdued to me. the 9 year 103 proof is damn good to me, but I think 110 proof would be about perfect with the Dickel profile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fangzilla Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Bluffhunter, for $20, Dickel 12 is definitely worth trying, just to expand your knowledge of what's out there. I consider it a good value for money given that it's 90 proof. Their products do have a certain unique house flavor to them that is difficult to pin down. If you totally don't like it, you can always drown it in ginger ale, but hopefully you don't find it that bad! I get an almost "musty / dusty" note out of Dickel, but those are pretty useless terms in actually describing it.I don't think the uniqueness is due to the ingredients or the stills. For one, when applying the Lincoln County Process, they soak the whiskey in the charcoal instead of trickling it through the way JD does. Their barrels and warehouses are also likely part of the equation. I believe the product is also shipped a rather long way from Tennessee in trucks to be bottled - would that matter? No idea. Some of these questions could be answered if I had an opportunity to taste their new make spirit. In any case, Dickel is worth trying at least once, and the No. 12 is the place to start.It's also hard to find outside the US, so you could consider tasting it a privilege mostly afforded to Americans! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 The leaching process used by Dickel is very similar to Daniels, the main difference being Daniels drips the new make whisky onto the surface of the charcoal while Dickel uses a light spraying technique for a more even coverage, otherwise they are about the same. The unique tasting notes in Dickel are due in large part to the yeast strain used that dates back to the days before Prohibition. Dickel in fact has an old fashioned flavor because it remains largely unchanged since the days George owned the place. Frankly I'm glad such a thing is still around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fangzilla Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Oh, and we forgot the virgin wool. From the (new) GD website:In the mellowing process (one of the things that makes Tennessee whisky a unique type of its own), the whisky from the high wine tank is fed slowly through mellowing vats, packed with charcoal and layered with George Dickel's special virgin wool blanket over which is placed a perforated stainless steel plate that allows our fine whisky to gently trickle through the charcoal. Is there a verified source for the idea that the yeast is what creates the unique flavor of Dickel? I always take such claims with a boulder-sized grain of salt. Take Scotch producers, for example. They use commodity bagged yeast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fangzilla Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Oops... I was fooled by Google search placement. The statement above actually comes from the "GD Red Cup Society", which may not be official. In any case, I have seen the wool blanket mentioned in other places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
callmeox Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I don't know of a major bourbon distiller that uses generic cake yeast. They all have their own strain and Four Roses 10 recipes are a great primer on how yeast matters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fangzilla Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 (edited) Agreed, and I have sampled all the Four Roses varieties and noted their differences. Also, it should be noted that 4R varies their grain bills (2) along with their yeast strains (5). I was mainly wondering if there is actual proof that the yeast is what accounts for the unique flavor of Dickel. And I mentioned Scotch simply because they manage to obtain a wide range of flavors, despite using commodity yeast.I know there are some well-known reasons to use a proprietary yeast, one of which is speed of fermentation. And that will surely have an effect on flavor. Edited January 26, 2014 by Fangzilla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steeltownbbq Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Dickel 12 is always in my rotation. I like it for those times when I want something different. Also is good way to introduce those who are new to bourbon or whiskey to a unique flavor profile. It compares very favorably to other bourbons in it's price range, especially with the limited selections we get in Ohio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoshani Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I describe the smell and flavor as brewer's yeast. When I was a child, my mom made me take compressed brewer's yeast tablets because she was into vitamins and health foods; the smell and taste of Dickel has a large amount of this element, at least to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Yeah, Dickel uses a blanket (or did, presume they still do) in the leeching vat which I believe is a filter for minute particles of charcoal. Daniels does something similar but I've forgotten what.What I know about the yeast I got in a conversation with Dave Backus who was Master Distiller there when I dropped by about 25 years ago. Just casual conversation, I happened to be in the area on business and stopped by because it was there. They didn't have regular tours at the time but Dave volunteered to show me around. We spent more time in and talked more about the Scottish style warehouses which I found much more interesting than the usual mash/ferment/distill stuff usually shown to tourists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fangzilla Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Great experience to have. Too bad we didn't all carry around camera (phones) 25 years ago! I'm sure that would have made for some pictures. I think you visited Dickel in the pre-Diageo era. It was the multi-tentacled drinks giant that started tours there.http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1842&dat=20030928&id=m1geAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JcgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1432,4062851 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Yeah, Dickel uses a blanket (or did, presume they still do) in the leeching vat which I believe is a filter for minute particles of charcoal. Daniels does something similar but I've forgotten what.What I know about the yeast I got in a conversation with Dave Backus who was Master Distiller there when I dropped by about 25 years ago. Just casual conversation, I happened to be in the area on business and stopped by because it was there. They didn't have regular tours at the time but Dave volunteered to show me around. We spent more time in and talked more about the Scottish style warehouses which I found much more interesting than the usual mash/ferment/distill stuff usually shown to tourists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VAGentleman Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Agreed, and I have sampled all the Four Roses varieties and noted their differences. Also, it should be noted that 4R varies their grain bills (2) along with their yeast strains (5). I was mainly wondering if there is actual proof that the yeast is what accounts for the unique flavor of Dickel. And I mentioned Scotch simply because they manage to obtain a wide range of flavors, despite using commodity yeast.I know there are some well-known reasons to use a proprietary yeast, one of which is speed of fermentation. And that will surely have an effect on flavor. The new white corn whiskey doesn't have that unique vitamin flavor in it. If the yeast was causing that flavor I would think it would be there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I expect the taste we're describing takes years in the barrel to develop as the barrel has the single greatest influence on flavor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sutton Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 The precursors of the vitamin note may be produced by fermentation and then come off the still, but they may not come together to form that flavor until after some barrel aging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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