Cherry | Fruit vitamins | Oak | Honeydew | Light maple | Faint earthy spice

Mixed berries | Mixed nuts | Toasted oak | Tobacco

Burnt butterscotch | Brandied cherries | Nutmeg | Robust oak | Mellow tannins & dryness

Now in its third release, George Dickel Bottled in Bond continues to impress with its age statement, coming in two years older than last year's release. Now at 13 years, it's only two years off from the recently released George Dickel 15 Year Single Barrel. Yet the two whiskeys couldn't be more different.

This year’s George Dickel Bottled In Bond certainly features oak as a major aspect of its flavor profile, but the mustiness that is quite apparent in the 15 Year Single Barrel release isn’t found here. There are adequate amounts of tobacco and dark flavors, especially during the finish, and the trademark Dickel vitamin flavor profile is present. It’s just nowhere near as oppressive as it was in the first release of this brand in 2019, but that might be for the better or worse depending on your relationship with Dickel’s flavor profile. This year’s release tastes much more mature and features much more weight to its sip compared to the previous two releases.

In a lot of ways, this year’s Bottled In Bond release is Dickel’s best one yet. It’s rather down to earth and wears its age well. But it isn’t a showstopper either. Much like Dickel 15 Year Single Barrel, it's also underpriced, but not wildly so. It doesn’t scream “cream of the crop'' or try to convince you it’s a “must have.”  Neither overly refined or complex, it is more of a nostalgia trip to the way whiskey was only a few short years ago when age statements were plentiful, prices were fair, and the whiskey was generally solid. George Dickel Bottled In Bond is another great example of what Dickel can produce, but a part of me is ready to see the distillery take it to the next level.