Jack Daniels makes up the lion’s share of attention when it comes to Tennessee whiskey, but the next-largest competitor, Diageo’s George Dickel, is also known for some rather interesting offerings. The latest of these is said to have been found near the back of a warehouse by distiller Allisa Henley when “she wasn’t really even looking for it.” Enter the new George Dickel 17 Year Old.
The George Dickel 17 Year Old, according to the distillery, came about when Henley
“[W]as searching George Dickel’s single story barrel warehouses for 9-Year Old whisky to use in the Hand Selected Barrel Program she’d launched in 2014. However, after pulling a sample from a row of 17-Year Old barrels near the back of one of the warehouses, she knew it was too good not to share as the extra time in the barrel had resulted in a perfectly balanced, flavorful sipping whisky.”
“From the moment I first sipped it, I knew George Dickel 17-Year-Old was special,” said Henley in a statement. “People are going to remember where they were when they first tasted it, and I love knowing it will be right here in my home state of Tennessee.”
The limited edition 17-year-old, with a mash bill of 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley, will only be available at George Dickel’s Cascade Hollow Distillery Visitor’s Center in Tullahoma, Tennessee, and select retailers in the state with strong whiskey programs. It will price around $75 for a 375 ml bottle.
Official tasting notes for this whiskey, bottled at 87 proof, are available below from Dickel for your consideration.
George Dickel 17-Year Old possesses a nose of sweet molasses and rich oak, and has a deep golden amber color. The whisky enters the palate with subtly sweet tastes of vanilla and caramel before peppery spice notes emerge mid-palate. The sip ends with a deep, complex toasted oak finish.