mosugoji64 Posted April 24, 2016 Author Share Posted April 24, 2016 The new Tennessee Bourbon arrived at our local Costco this weekend so I brought home a bottle to try. My first suspicion was that this probably came from Dickel, but that's not the case. I did a SBS with a bottle of Dickel 9 and it tastes nothing like that. I don't have any other Tennessee whiskey and don't have a lot of experience with other products from that fine state, so I'm at a loss for detecting the provenance. The back label states, "Bottled by Tennessee Distilling Ltd. Columbia, Tennessee." According to my research firm, Google, they've only been around for two years, so they obviously didn't make this 7yo bourbon. Wherever it came from, it is good. It has a classic bourbon profile that would have led me to guess HH if I were tasting blind. I'm guessing a high-corn mashbill as it leans toward sweet with a little peppery spice on the back end. The taste is pleasing but the price bump is not. Their Beam-sourced whiskey was $21.99 if memory serves and this one is $29.99. While I am pleased with their choice of whiskey and the price isn't bad considering it's still a liter bottle, there are plenty of others I like as much or more for less. If pricing keeps creeping up, though, this may become standard for a 7-year, 103 proof bourbon. I'm eager to hear others' thoughts as this shows up elsewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meadeweber Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 On 4/24/2016 at 6:57 AM, mosugoji64 said: The new Tennessee Bourbon arrived at our local Costco this weekend so I brought home a bottle to try. My first suspicion was that this probably came from Dickel, but that's not the case. I did a SBS with a bottle of Dickel 9 and it tastes nothing like that. I don't have any other Tennessee whiskey and don't have a lot of experience with other products from that fine state, so I'm at a loss for detecting the provenance. The back label states, "Bottled by Tennessee Distilling Ltd. Columbia, Tennessee." According to my research firm, Google, they've only been around for two years, so they obviously didn't make this 7yo bourbon. Wherever it came from, it is good. It has a classic bourbon profile that would have led me to guess HH if I were tasting blind. I'm guessing a high-corn mashbill as it leans toward sweet with a little peppery spice on the back end. The taste is pleasing but the price bump is not. Their Beam-sourced whiskey was $21.99 if memory serves and this one is $29.99. While I am pleased with their choice of whiskey and the price isn't bad considering it's still a liter bottle, there are plenty of others I like as much or more for less. If pricing keeps creeping up, though, this may become standard for a 7-year, 103 proof bourbon. I'm eager to hear others' thoughts as this shows up elsewhere. Thanks for trying it and giving us your impression Brian. Anyone else have any ideas where this may have come from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulO Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 I was going to say Fighting Cock is made by HH, is 103 proof, and just recently lost its' 6 year age statement. The Kirkland does say distilled in TN. So it's not from HH, or the label is incorrect. Who in TN was making regular bourbon in enough quantity 7 years ago? I suppose Dickel could have made something under contract to someone else's specifications. What other big distillery operation is in TN? I assume Jack Daniels makes big profit selling their own brands, and wouldn't even do anything like this. 7 year old 103 proof from JD would sure cost more than $30 @ 1L. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meadeweber Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 1 hour ago, PaulO said: I was going to say Fighting Cock is made by HH, is 103 proof, and just recently lost its' 6 year age statement. The Kirkland does say distilled in TN. So it's not from HH, or the label is incorrect. Who in TN was making regular bourbon in enough quantity 7 years ago? I suppose Dickel could have made something under contract to someone else's specifications. What other big distillery operation is in TN? I assume Jack Daniels makes big profit selling their own brands, and wouldn't even do anything like this. 7 year old 103 proof from JD would sure cost more than $30 @ 1L. Would be easy to recognize the JD profile by taste, don't you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulO Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 (edited) JD does not use charred barrels and does the maple charcoal filtering process. JD is not bourbon. Theoretically, JD white dog straight from the still into a new charred barrel then aged could be very different. Like I said, the price is the main reason I think this didn't happen. Edited April 26, 2016 by PaulO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 This could be from the same source as the Barrell Bourbon. I've speculated Prichard's may be the suspect, but who really knows.?.?. Barrell Bourbon touts 25% rye in the mash (I think), so it can't be Dickel. Any idea of the MB on this one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mosugoji64 Posted April 26, 2016 Author Share Posted April 26, 2016 It doesn't have the banana note that I usually pick up in JD but I don't drink a lot of JD and might not be able to identify variations of their whiskey. It doesn't taste anything like Dickel to me and I have had a few bottles of Dickel whiskey. It tastes like a low-rye mashbill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 2 hours ago, PaulO said: JD does not use charred barrels and does the maple charcoal filtering process. JD is not bourbon. Theoretically, JD white dog straight from the still into a new charred barrel then aged could be very different. Like I said, the price is the main reason I think this didn't happen. The fact that JD does not use new charred barrels is likely to come as a big surprise to a lot of people, especially the ones at JD and Brown-Forman. Having seen the inside of a JD barrel I am pretty comfortable saying you are misinformed on this point. They are toasted first but then they are most definitely charred. As to whether the charcoal filtering process before barreling does or doesn't make JD (or Dickel) a bourbon that has been kicked around many times. I believe it is bourbon that they simply prefer to call by a different name and the filtering doesn't change that. At least a few others agree. Pretty clear you are in the opposite camp! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Comp Posted April 27, 2016 Share Posted April 27, 2016 Just bought a bottle to bring to the gazebo so we can figure it out further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnbowljoe Posted April 27, 2016 Share Posted April 27, 2016 30 minutes ago, T Comp said: Just bought a bottle to bring to the gazebo so we can figure it out further. That'll work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNovaMan Posted April 27, 2016 Share Posted April 27, 2016 Thad, you're awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mosugoji64 Posted April 27, 2016 Author Share Posted April 27, 2016 7 hours ago, T Comp said: Just bought a bottle to bring to the gazebo so we can figure it out further. Great! I look forward to pondering this one with you guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulO Posted April 27, 2016 Share Posted April 27, 2016 Not to thread drift too much, I'm not the world's expert on JD. If their barrels are charred, I don't think it's as much a bourbon barrel. Look at the color of the whiskey. Or the filtering makes it so light? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meadeweber Posted April 27, 2016 Share Posted April 27, 2016 3 hours ago, PaulO said: Not to thread drift too much, I'm not the world's expert on JD. If their barrels are charred, I don't think it's as much a bourbon barrel. Look at the color of the whiskey. Or the filtering makes it so light? I would think that age and proof (amount of water added) would have more effect on the color of a whiskey than the char lever of the barrel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulO Posted April 29, 2016 Share Posted April 29, 2016 Ok, I read Chuck's article. There is enough information that a person could comfortably argue either side. At the end he says "don't get drawn into arguments whether Jack Daniels is bourbon". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grain Belt Posted April 30, 2016 Share Posted April 30, 2016 As I read his thread I am having a pour of the 7 year ols Costco Tennessee bourbon. I have no clue where it is sourced from. I do know it tastes excellent to my palate. It is pricey but I like it well enough to put on my list when a special pour is needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnbowljoe Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 I had a pour or two from the bottle Thad brought to the Sampler. I've Never had anything from Pritchard's, so I can't really speculate there. I'm pretty sure it ain't JD. That only leaves Dickel. I tasted it neat, then added a couple of cubes. That did the trick. The cubes really brought out the "vitamin" flavor associated with Dickel. So, based upon careful scientific analysis, and a random process of elimination, it's Dickel. Cheers! Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulO Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 Did anyone else taste the vitamin flavor? I was going to try it. I'm just not a big fan of Dickel (except for their sourced MGP rye). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mosugoji64 Posted May 2, 2016 Author Share Posted May 2, 2016 2 hours ago, PaulO said: Did anyone else taste the vitamin flavor? I was going to try it. I'm just not a big fan of Dickel (except for their sourced MGP rye). Paul, the bottle I bought in AZ didn't have any of the vitamin note when I tasted it neat but the bottle Thad brought did have a faint amount of the Flintstoney character. It was more apparent with ice but still not as prominent as in the Dickel brands. I'm going to try the bottle at home with ice when I get back and will report my findings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fricky Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 There was a bottle available for tasting last week in the gazebo in Bardstown. To me, vitamins were clearly present in the nose and taste; therefore, I thought it was Dickel. Not everyone agreed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRich Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 There was a bottle available for tasting last week in the gazebo in Bardstown. To me, vitamins were clearly present in the nose and taste; therefore, I thought it was Dickel. Not everyone agreed. Same here. I had some of Thad's bottle too and if it isn't Dickel I would be VERY surprised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryT Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 I didn't get "vitamin" on the nose, but when pressed and we uncovered I was an abused child, deprived of Flintstones nutritional supplements, my thoughts were discounted. All that said - it did remind me of Dickel when I sipped it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mosugoji64 Posted May 4, 2016 Author Share Posted May 4, 2016 Added some water to a pour from my bottle at home and the vitamin note was there. It wasn't prominent as in Dickel branded bottles but definitely there. I don't get that in any other whiskey so I'm going with Dickel as the source until told otherwise. I still think it's interesting that they went with a TN distillery for their house bourbon, but then the KY ones probably don't have enough surplus to offer. Throws a little more fuel on the, "Is TN whiskey bourbon," argument, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulO Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 I believe any state can make bourbon if they follow the rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 3 hours ago, PaulO said: I believe any state can make bourbon if they follow the rules. Correct. Bourbon is made 8 miles down the road from my house on the north side of Seattle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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