Editor’s Note: This whisky was provided to us as a review sample by George Dickel. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the buy link towards the bottom of this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.
As it says right there on the label, this whiskey is a collaborative effort. Denver’s Leopold Bros. is a craft distiller that prides itself on having recreated a three-chamber still from old blueprints, and is making whiskey from a type of Abruzzi rye that was popular with pre-Prohibition distillers. George Dickel Tennessee Whisky, meanwhile, has new barrels of column-still rye it was looking to move out into the world for the first time.
And with that, we get a Bottled in Bond limited release of George Dickel x Leopold Bros Collaboration Blend Rye. “The result is a rare, historically inspired blend of straight rye whiskies that is reminiscent of an era when heavy-bodied rye whiskies were served at bars and saloons across America,” the companies said in a prepared joint statement.
I’ve long associated rye whiskey with the old West, and a dusty traveler slamming a coin down on the bar and demanding a drink. The fact that whiskies of the 19th Century American frontier were unlikely to taste like anything we’d drink today – or probably want to drink today – is beside the point. Rye comes with a nostalgia factor.
I respect, then, an effort to make an old-school rye. The question is how well the collaboration succeeded – and just what a “heavy-bodied” whiskey is supposed to taste like, anyway.
Tasting Notes: George Dickel x Leopold Bros Collaboration Blend Rye
Vital stats: The Leopold mash bill is 80% rye and 20% barley, and the Dickel mash bill is undisclosed; the proportion between the two is not specified; no age statement; $109.99 for a 750 ml bottle.
Appearance: Golden brown; thick legs on the side of the glass, collecting in big teardrops.
Nose: Far more sweet than I typically associate with a rye. There is a citrusy spice, but the predominant smells are brown sugar, molasses, orange slices, and cotton candy.
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Palate: I don’t know about “heavy bodied,” but there is structure in this whiskey. You can almost chew it. It starts off a little astringent, but mellows out and is warm and spicy on the finish. This is a rye that hits you in the mouth, not with rye spice but just with its intensity. Personally, I liked it better with a few drops of water to mellow it out. That actually allows you to taste the rye better.
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