George Dickel Rye

45% ABV

Mashbill - 95% rye, 5% malted barley

TW - $31.99

ABC - $28.99

Class VI - $27.60

From the ABC website:  George Dickel Rye Whisky is the only rye finished in the chilled charcoal-mellowed style that has made George Dickel whiskey distinct. Their rye is spicy with an exceptionally smooth finish and is a great choice in classic cocktails like The Old Fashioned and Manhattan.

Dickel is a Tennessee whiskey just like Jack Daniel’s.  They use the “Lincoln County Process” - They take bourbon and run it through a sugar maple charcoal filter and then call it ‘Tennessee Whiskey’.  I enjoy both Jack Daniel’s and Dickel bourbon.  I think the filtering makes a difference.  According to The Whiskey Reviewer, Dickel doesn’t have the distilling ability to make rye at their Tennessee distillery so they have it distilled in Lawrenceburg Indiana and shipped to them where they chill filter it, and age it.  (What’s ‘chill filtering’?  Whisky Advocate has a good explanation here.)

There’s a significant difference between the Daniel’s rye and the Dickel rye.  For me, rye falls into two categories:  Sipping rye and Manhattan rye.  You don’t want anything too smooth for your Manhattan.  You want something that will fight the sweetness of the vermouth (which is why bourbon is a bad choice for a Manhattan.  It’s too sweet).  Jack Daniel’s rye is really great - one of my favorites, but it’s too smooth for a Manhattan.  Dickel rye, on the other hand, has got a wonderful peppery punch - perfect for Manhattans.    

I know you can get minis of Daniel’s Rye.  I recommend a tasting with both to give you a real understanding of the difference.  

Tasting notes from the Whiskey Reviewer:

There is a little oak, a little bundle of ginger, vanilla, and cinnamon, some sweet tobacco. It’s spicy, but sweetly so and without being corny or fruity, and above all, silky smooth. The finish is spicy and dry, but still mellow, leaving a moderate and lingering warmth.

A Standard Manhattan Recipe

4 oz George Dickel Rye

2 oz Martini & Rossi Rosso Sweet Vermouth (~ $12 for a fifth)

3 shakes of Angostura Bitters (~ $14 for a small bottle)

1 Luxardo Maraschino Cherry (2 cherries if you’re sweetheart is with you)

Pour the ingredients in a glass with ice and stir vigorously for a minute.  

“Up” - Strain into a martini glass and enjoy.  

“On the rocks” - Pour it into a rocks glass filled with ice.

NEVER shake your Manhattan. Only an uncouth rube shakes their Manhattans.

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Notes

From The Whiskey Reviewer: https://whiskeyreviewer.com/2013/08/george-dickel-rye-whiskey-review_082113/#:~:text=The%20George%20Dickel%20Rye%20is%20a%20high-rye%2C%20with,years%2C%20and%20bottled%20at%209o%20proof%20%2845%25%20abv%29.

Dickel and Daniels are the only two distilleries using charcoal maple-filtering, and three major points separate Dickel from Daniels: 1) Dickel uses cool (not freezing) chill filtering before the whiskey goes into the barrel, instead of after it comes out; 2) Dickel uses an even deeper vat for its maple charcoal filtering; 3) while not a micro-distillery, Dickel is a small concern, and very far from the mass-producing giant that Daniels is. The George Dickel Rye is a high-rye, with a 95% rye and 5% malted barley mashbill. It’s aged for around five years, and bottled at 9o proof (45% abv).

Whiskey Advocate - https://whiskyadvocate.com/chill-filtered-whisky-101/