Ooooh, George Dickel 8. You’re not 8 years old (more like 4-6), but you are classic. The standby that has always been there and been ready and willing to supply that high corn Tennessee whiskey fix (except for a brief shortage in mid-2007 – early 2008 due to a shut down from 99-03). I’ve enjoyed George for quite some time and it’s fun to sit down and finally give the little guy a proper review.
First thing to note is what sets it apart from that other famous Tennessee whiskey. Both use the Lincoln county process, which involves filtering the whiskey through sugar maple charcoal before barreling it. However, Jack Daniels drips theirs into a 10 foot vat so it can seep in and drip out the bottom before being barreled. Dickel on the other-hand chills their whiskey to 40F before filling their charcoal filled vats with the whiskey and then letting it filter through. This chill filtration they claim creates a cleaner, smoother spirit and comparing it to Jack… they’re right.
George Dickel 8 Review
ABV: 40%
Age: 4-6 years
Price: $18
Distiller: George A Dickel & Co. /Diageo
Mashbill: 84% corn, 8% rye & 8% malted barley
EYE
Honey yellow
NOSE
Green apples, honey, cinnamon, caramel and corn dance out of the glass. Light notes of orchard fruit, sawdust, char and an almost herbal spice make an appearance but don’t make a fuss. It’s a clean crisp nose that has a decent amount of depth to it and I’m enjoying it quite a bit.
TASTE
More honey, apples and corn along with some apricots and a bit of rye like spice keeping them company. Appearing in fits and spurts are notes of caramel, wood and a deeper pine/mint hybrid that is rather intriguing.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Does whiskey get any easier to drink without completely loosing it’s backbone? Good balance, medium body and a nice easy texture just make me happy to be sipping it in my recliner while writing this review.
FINISH
Medium with notes of caramel, honey, spice and a touch of wood and mint.
OVERALL
80 proof… yup. Chill filtered… yup. So why do I like it so much? Even the infamous Sku loves it so there’s definitely something going on here. The cask strength non-chill filtered whiskey geek in me wants to reject this thing with all I have and I just can’t do it. Hell this is my second bottle this year. The only other things I’ve bough multiples of this year are Ardbeg Uigeadail, Laphroaig 10, Glenmorangie 10, Old Grand-Dad, Maker’s Mark, Weller 107 and Wild Turkey 101 which are my standard “go-tos” so I don’t drink through the expensive stuff too quickly. I guess really the only thing I have to say is… welcome to the “regulars” Dickel 8.
SCORE: 85/100
Dickel no. 8
I’m sipping my first glass now, I’m a newcomer to truly enjoying spirits, just for the experience.
I am not disappointed with Dickel no. 8. It has this very subtle, caramelly, amazing full flavor.
As a Tennessee native, I had to try this, and next no. 12.
Learning all the different things about spirits, and tasting the subtle and not-so-subtle differences has been a great experience, so far!
Welcome! It’s a fun thing to get into, glad you’re enjoying something new. Cheers Luke!
Back in my whiskey-drinking days, I much preferred Dickel to Jack. I was also fond of Grandad & I’m glad to see it in a sideways rec.
Side note: A Kentucky bourbon I developed a taste for is Henry McKenna. In the way of so many things I like, it of course disappeared form the shelves.
McKenna was such a nice little secret for so long. Super affordable, super low price… damn I miss those days. Cheers Mike!
Updating here. I recall this is the first spot on the web where I got to express how much I loved this whiskey, but unfortunately, recent bottles that I’ve purchased of this have been absolutely terrible. Hopefully was just a batch issue, but hard to say given that this is a pretty voluminous production. I’ve stopped buying it, but may return to it and hope for something like the bottles I had 5-6 years ago.
Oh that sucks to hear. I haven’t bought one recently, been sipping on the new bonded, but I might have to try one soon to see how it stacks. Thanks for sharing Lex.
Lol four roses. Voice to text fails
I’ve been lurking on the site for months. Pick this up today at the store because of the price point. First things first, I’ve been a rye guy lately. Not exclusively but it’s been my go-to. In college, I cut my teeth on Jack like everybody else. Friends hated it but it was just always what I went back to. As I’ve grown up, Maker’s Mark was my gateway drug. Of late basil Hayden has been huge. I like four rows of single barrel and really love Bulleit in their brands of both Rye and Bourbon. Buffalo Trace, too. Anyway, bought a bottle of this today on a whim and price point, And it is glorious. It’s like that point in college when you started drinking good beer. It’s super cheap here, I think the bottle was $18.
This will be a staple I pour for people. And by people I mean me.
Hahaha,love it. Thanks for sharing Scott, cheers!
It’s forty-two bucks on special here downunder. And that makes it on the cheap side. Still, it seems smoother than JD, and even Wild Turkey (which is still my go-to bourbon whiskey).
I drink all my BW neat. Sometimes that means it’s pretty warm-summer temps are high 30s C with humidity reaching 100%.
I’m gonna go look for your Gentleman Jack review now.
Cheers Peter!
I just bought my very first bottle of this and enjoyed it. But then I decided to pour 1 finger in a glass and put the glass in the fridge overnight (not the freezer) After trying it the next day, I liked it even more just chilled. I realize this isn’t the traditional way to drink whiskey or bourbon, but I think I’m going to continue this experiment. Josh, would you happen to know why I prefer it this way as opposed to just drinking it over ice fresh out of the bottle?…Thanks.
Hey Kelly,
That’s really interesting. I’ve never done it like that. Could just be because it’s chilled and not watered down at all. Very interesting. Cheers!
I did some research, and discovered that letting bourbon or whiskey rest in the glass for 10-20 minutes can improve the taste. This allows it to breathe or oxidize which makes it less astringent. So this might explain why I liked it better after sitting in the fridge overnight.
Good to know. I think that most whiskeys can do with a little water(ice), like Scotch, but some deserve to be chilled without water for the most raw flavor.
couldnt find my go to… like you guys i found Dickel (had heard good things) and for the price (the owner of the store thought he had mis-labelled lol he wanted to charge me extra)…. As a usual drinker of the classical Wild Turkey 101, i find this easier to sip… unlicke wild turkey its nose is quite soft…. like im drinking a beer or a wine almost… I’m very impressed.
Cheers john!
I picked this up tonight because I was at a shop that didn’t have pints of Wild Turkey and I’d never had it.
I am very impressed. A floral green apple whiskey. Never would thought it existed, much less that it would taste this good. Doesn’t even need water at all. Very very solid spirit.
I’ll be short, and sweet with what I think of this Tennessee whisk(e)y…
George Dickel No 8 is sorta the ‘lite’ version of George Dickel No 12.
It’s nice, but for the extra $2 – the No 12 is more appealing.
I’ll add one last thing!
There is a wonderful skunky thing here. VERY subtle, but there. Almost like a Cambeltown scotch. This is just a dream of a whisk(e)y, for any price, let alone this one.
Totally agree, Dickel has been one of those “secret” whiskeys that have flown under the radar for a while and is so good. Multifacted, flavorful, aromatic and cheap! I visited the distillery recently and they said that sales have been going up noticeably so the secret is definitely out.
I should have proof read.
It’s like bourbon with an extra dimension I meant to say.
It’s because ” you been drankin'” Lex. I always have better grammar and spelling when I am sober. Now sober up and write sumpin portant.
Like you say. There is something about it. I can’t put my finger on it. It’s not gross like JD, but has that fatty/charcoal hard to describe thing that JD claims to have. It’s like bourbon with an extra detention (again what JD claims to have)…btu beyond that it’s hard to describe….Maybe it’s the burnt maple coming through more than in other whis(e)y’s. I came upon this review because I’m looking for someone who can describe it.
I’ll give it a whack. Go with Old No.12 or JD. They are better than this. Old number 8 is not worth buying as compared to others. The taste profile is pretty poor and like Lex says, it ain’t worth it especially compared to Old number 12. GD 12 is well worth the extra buck or two.