If Classic Recipe is the everyday Dickel, No. 12 is the one worth trading up to, and the gap between them is larger than the price difference suggests. The 12 is a recipe designation rather than an age statement, so this is not a twelve year old whisky. What it is instead is a blend of older, more assertive barrels bottled at 90 proof rather than 80, and those two changes together transform the whisky. Where the entry expression is deliberately mellow and easygoing, this is deeper and considerably more forward. Everything upstream is the same and traditional. Production happens at Cascade Hollow in Tullahoma, where George Dickel bought into the distillery in the 1870s, and the whisky passes through the Lincoln County Process before barreling, filtered through sugar maple charcoal. Dickel chills the spirit to around forty degrees Fahrenheit first, a practice rooted in the founder's belief that whisky made in winter came out smoother, and the cold causes heavier compounds to drop out so the charcoal removes more of them. The spelling without an E is deliberate too, adopted because Dickel rated his whisky the equal of good Scotch. In the glass this is deep gold. The nose is sweet corn and vanilla with sugared citrus, honey and butterscotch, and there is an earthy tobacco and herbal note underneath that the 80 proof version does not show. The palate is rich and rounded, moving through caramel, maple, toasted cinnamon and black pepper into leather and pecan, with a creamy mouthfeel. It finishes on smoky oak and vanilla with real length. Excellent neat, and it makes a genuinely good highball with soda and lemon.
ABV / Proof
| ABV |
45% |
| Proof |
90 |
| Size |
750ml |
| Country |
United States |
| Region |
Tullahoma, Coffee County, Tennessee |
| Category |
Tennessee Whisky |
| Expression |
No. 12, Superior Recipe |
| Mashbill |
Reported 84% corn, 8% rye, 8% malted barley |
| Age |
No age statement |
| Distillery |
Cascade Hollow Distilling Co. |
| Filtration |
Chill mellowed through sugar maple charcoal, Lincoln County Process |
| Producer |
Diageo |
Tasting Notes
Color: Deep gold with good clarity.
Nose: Sweet corn and vanilla lead, with sugared citrus, warm honey and butterscotch, and an earthy tobacco and herbal tea note behind.
Palate: Rich and assertive with a creamy mouthfeel, moving through caramel, maple and toasted cinnamon into black pepper, leather and pecan.
Finish: Long and smooth, closing on smoky oak, subtle vanilla and a gentle spice.
FAQ
What proof is George Dickel No. 12? It is bottled at 90 proof, or 45 percent alcohol by volume.
Is No. 12 aged for twelve years? No. The 12 is a recipe designation, not an age statement, in the same way the No. 8 is. The whisky carries no age statement, though it is understood to use older barrels than the entry expression.
How does it differ from Classic Recipe or No. 8? Two things: a blend of older, more assertive whiskies, and a higher bottling strength of 90 proof against 80. The result is deeper and bolder rather than simply stronger.
Is it bourbon? No. Although the mashbill is corn dominant, the whisky is charcoal mellowed through sugar maple before barreling and is designated Tennessee whisky.
What is the best way to drink it? Neat or over ice for sipping. It also makes an excellent highball poured over ice with soda and a lemon slice, where the extra proof keeps it from being washed out.
Where can I buy George Dickel No. 12 online? Available here at Liquor On Broadway while stock lasts, with fast insured shipping nationwide.
