Monday, July 22, 2013

George Dickel Rye Whisky Review:


And here I am again, with a follow up whiskey from the “other” Tennessee distillery... Oh wait, this is a rye whiskey… and then again, it isn’t even a rye made in Tennessee. In fact it isn’t even made by Dickel, but rather it’s produced by Midwest Grain Products Inc. (MGPI). So what, do you ask, is going on? Ok, ok. I’ll stop with the rant before I go too far. For one thing, it isn’t entirely fair that I make such a big deal about this. Sourcing product from other distilleries go on all over the country, if not all over the world. But in the United States, as many have talked about before, something entirely different is happening. So lets first take a step back and explain some background.

First the whole MGPI thing. As much as the subject annoys me rather than anything else these days, I’ll briefly go over what it’s all about. Midwest Grain Products, more well known by their former name Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana (LDI), is a giant monster distillery over the border from Kentucky. Like many distilleries in Scotland, they don’t sell to the public, but rather to other whiskey labels. Before the recent boom of rye whiskey in America, they made one of the smartest decisions in the world by producing a high rye whiskey. This 95% rye mashbill whiskey was originally intended to be sold to companies who would then blend it with other whiskies, as is common practice in Scotland. But some companies found the “95” rye was quite good on its own right and so they would simply select particular barrels and sell them under their own label without any blending. Because of the huge financial undertaking it is to produce a whole new product or to start a distillery yourself, "95" became very popular as the "go-to" rye producer. And with few options when one wants to purchase rye in the United States, it is quite understandable how quickly brands like Bulleit, Redemption, Willet, possibly Templeton, George Dickel, among others, all flocked to the "95," with very little differences in flavor profile.

From this 95% rye whiskey, George Dickel takes the product through its Lincoln Country process using its iconic sugar maple charcoal. Usually Dickel would chill the distillate and run it through the filtration process before it's aged, but understandably so, this 5 year old whiskey is chilled and filtered before bottling, creating a Lincoln County twist on a product that usually sees little change after leaving the MGPI plant.

As I alluded to prior, this is all just business as usual. Some make a larger deal about this than need be. Some don't make large enough of a deal. What I care about is transparency. And this stuff ain’t bad by any stretch of the imagination. MGPI/LDI produces rather good products. But ultimately, to cut to the punch line--for myself, this rye is just not Dickel. It’s not what I would expect from Dickel. It’s just not the Tennessee Rye I was hoping for.

George Dickel Rye Whisky Review:

Price: From $24-$28 for a 750ml bottle. I find it difficult to purchase this when it is more expensive than their standard Number 12--which Dickel actually produces.

Packaging/Labeling: This is where I have some complaints. Same Dickel bottle with lovely green tones – all of which I love. But the label to me is deceptive. They can’t legally say it’s a Tennessee whiskey (as far as I know, it’s not even bottled in Tennessee), it states that it is distilled in Lawrenceburg, IN on the back, but it speaks about George Dickel and his desire to create the “smoothest Tennessee Whisky around,” small batch, and handcrafted. Advertisers can say what they want, but I don’t like it. Simple as that.

Alcoholic Content: 45% abv, 90 proof.

Nose: Spearmint, cedar, and lemongrass.  Cereal and oatmeal grains. Nothing overcomplicated, if not anodyne. 

Palate: Balanced palate of rye spice and sweet spearmint burst onto the scene. The charcoal mellowing makes a huge impact. Nothing is over woody, over spiced, over sweet. A nice oily dark chocolate mint candy on the finish - think Andess Mints.

Conclusion: This is by far my most preferred expression of the "95" rye from MGPI, not counting what is being done at High West. It’s a solid, well-rounded, balanced rye. Not great by any means, but I wouldn’t be disappointed if someone bought me a dram of it at a bar.

On a positive note, this might be the last MGPI/LDI product we see on the market for a good while, says Chuck Cowdery, since Dickel has “locked up” current supply, and the current MGPI rye supply is less than a year old! This means that everyone just might have to wait for new and original products to come to the market, rather than repackaging the same old stuff. 

Rating: Good/Recommended

11 comments:

  1. So should I take it that you are not a fan of rye whiskey in general? You said it was your favorite of the bunch, but that it's also not great. I'm looking to get into rye and was thinking to try this as a starter. Do you have another suggestion?

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    1. First off, sorry for the late reply, I was out camping. As for rye, I am a fan. "95" rye is a good whiskey in any expression I have had. But it has never blown my socks off. The "Dickel expression" was simply my favorite of the bunch. One of my favorite go-to whiskies in the world is Rittenhouse Rye 100. Simply stunning for the price point point. High West "utilizes" the "95" as it should be used and it does it well. I love High West. Sazerac, though pricey produce great products. And another sourced product with a large price tag, which is a real winner (albeit, with lots of mystery) is Whistle Pig. Ultimately you should go with the Rittenhouse. It's alway in ones price range.

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    2. I just tried the Dickel rye last night and didn't fall in love with it - too "bourbony," in my 2 cent opinion. I've tried at least 16 different ryes in the last few years - at the moment Few is my favorite, even over Whistle Pig, with Bulleit and Sazerac 6 as solid second choices, and Jim Beam Rye as an acceptable bargain alternative. Your taste buds may vary.

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    3. I think FEW has potential - though it is still young. Whistle Pig is very good. I'm also a fan of Sazerac 6. Rittenhouse Bottled-in-Bond still wins out for me. Agreed with you on the Jim Beam!

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  2. Great review! I really like this very affordable (ie. $24) rye whisky. I do agree the bottle labeling is somewhat misleading as a casual consumer may think they are getting a Tennessee whisky when actually it is whisky made in Indiana. Nevertheless, it delivers above its price point.

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    1. I think you said it correctly: "it delivers above its price point." And that is what will sell this product - besides the name.

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  3. So I developed a liking for Bulliet 95 rye. The local store was out of it, so gave me a bottle of Dickel 95 at a 10% discount. Since they're both made by the same outfit(?) It's the same stuff? As far as I can tell, Dickel is a bit different.. it has a sweeter nose and a more maple quality. Or am I imagining a difference?

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    1. Right on the money Jeff! Same product, just a different presentation. And as I said, this rye product is presented in many different forms, yet Dickel, with its charcoal mellowing, makes a large impact on the end product. Sweeter nose, more melded flavor, and I would say a more balanced maple quality as you described. Great observations!

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  4. I just tried it and I think I have found my new go to drink

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  5. I have been trying the many new Rye whiskies on the market, and currently list the George Dickel Rye as my favorite - especially for the price! Our notorious Utah State Liquor Stores have priced it at $18.00/750ml. I've always liked the Dickel 12 year White Label Whiskey, but the Utah System seldom carries it.

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    1. Nice! Also note that the Dickel 12 is "number 12" not 12 years. A common misunderstanding. It's possibly closer to 10 years or younger.

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