Kotas Reviews George Dickel Rye

I've been reviewing a lot of Pumpkin Spice things as of late, and to be frank, it's getting kind of old hat. Still, it is Fall and I should do something Fall-ish...maybe. Well, it is the harvest season, and that means lots of grain has to be stored. What is the most efficient way to store grain for transport? Booze, of course! Today we review George Dickel Rye.

The American Classic!

I know it is trendy,but I like rye quite a bit. It was the first whisky I'd had that I actually liked, though to be fair to whisky I hadn't much exposure past Jack Daniels or Col. Kwik-E-Mart's Kentucky Bourbon. Still, I have very much enjoyed my time with rye, and it's perfect weather for a glass to take off the chill. Anyway, the George Dickel Rye I have here is a 95% rye mash, which is pretty high. Hrm, that reminds me of Bulleit Rye, which was also 95% rye. Odd, isn't it? Well, not really. You see, both of these ryes are basically the same rye out of Midwest Grain Products (formerly Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana). Bulleit simply bottles it as is, while George Dickel here subjects it to their charcoal filter process that they use on their normal whisky.

Distilled in Lawrenceburg, Bottled by George Dickel. Kudos for honesty on the label!

The reason I bring this up is that there has been some controversy in the whisky world about a number of American brands not disclosing that the whiskey inside the bottle was simply purchased in bulk, blended, and bottled, rather than being distilled by the company on the label. Dickel has chosen not to hide anything. There's a good article on the topic over at The Whiskey Jug if you want to know more. What does all this mean to you, the drinker? Very little, since whisky blends are a perfectly fine thing to drink, though I personally feel that "not being lied to" by a company is a good thing. So, kudos to Dickel for that. Now, onto the drink itself!

In the traditional tumbler that is not at all a used jam jar.

I tried it neat first, because yes. This rye is a definite contrast to other ryes I've drunk. While it still has that characteristic rye pepperiness, it is much smoother overall. It tickles the nose properly, but is just a nice clean drink. Definitely some fruitiness to the flavor that I greatly enjoyed, as well as some nice vanilla underflavors. Very different from the Bulleit Rye, though I like them both. I guess that charcoal filtering does something after all! I also tried it on the rocks, and it's pretty good that way too.

On the FACE Rating System, this gets 3 smiley faces. I may have found a new "daily drinker" rye to throw into my rotation, and that makes me happy. I am most happy at the price. $22 for the bottle, and worth every penny. If you like whisky, and more importantly, if you like rye, you should give this a shot. It is not the finest rye you can buy, but it may be one of the best you can buy for under $25.