Review #385 - George Dickel 17 Year Single Barrel - Wiseguy Lounge Pick 'Anthony Corallo'
Wiseguy Lounge Barrel Pick Series: Part 17 of 20
George Dickel is a brand known for a couple of qualities: their higher age statements, which can often be found at a reasonable price, and their divisive flavor profile. This is a whisky that has lots of fans, but also its fair share of detractors; like other Tennessee whiskies, this is charcoal filtered before bottling, and they chill the whisky to low temperatures while doing so.
The 15 year age-stated version of George Dickel Tennessee Whisky can often be found in single barrel pick form; that's what we have here, a pick from the Wiseguy Lounge. While these picks are packed in a '15 Year' bottle, they actually often have even higher age statements, depending on the specific barrel that is picked - this one is 17 years old, possibly making it an even better value at the price point. Bottling strength is a lower 40% ABV (80 proof) for this pick, though, so we'll see how punchy the flavor delivery is.
George Dickel 17 Year Single Barrel - Wiseguy Lounge Pick 'Anthony Corallo'
USA - Tennessee
Price: USD 70 (2024)
Age Statement: 17 Years
Strength: 40% ABV
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 40% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Fresh tobacco leaf; there's soft sweetness from brown sugar, and a bit of grainy character lingering as well. Oak is full but mellow, and with time, a soft musty note arrives.
Palate: A medium-thin mouthfeel, though it's actually better than expected for the strength. Orange and tobacco arrive at the front, some sweetness but also some bitterness; copper, vanilla, and mellow oak come in the second wave of flavor. Tobacco leaf and bitterness grow stronger, though some sweetness is provided by Hershey's chocolate syrup. At the end of the palate, it's cinnamon and nutty grains.
Finish: Orange, almost like orange cocktail bitters. It's still quite mellow, with mild oak, but that wisp of tobacco continues to be a theme. It's a medium-short finish, with hints of floral flavors in the aftertaste.
Final Note: There's decent flavor here, especially the tobacco notes, which are showing the length of maturation; still, it's also a bit simple, and the mouthfeel leaves a bit to be desired, as you might expect at 80 proof. Decent whisky, if a bit mild.
Value is decent, especially for a whisky of this age - there aren't many other 17 year matured whiskies that you can buy around $70, so this gets some points there.
Our Average Rating: 6.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.31
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Tennessee whisky reviews:
Review #194 - Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof
