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George Washington
George Dickel: the Other Tennessee Whiskey
by John Hansell
Down in Nashville, the bars on Broadway Street still play live country music every night, sounds that penetrate to the street like beacons reaching out to the legendary Hank Williams, as if to reassure him that his songs will never be forgotten.
Visit Tootsie's Orchid Lounge on any given evening-where the country stars hung out before crossing the alley to perform at the spiritual-esque Ryman Auditorium with its sun-splashed stained glass windows-and you can be assured that the bands on both the front stage and back stage will be playing Hank's pain songs late into the evening, peppered with songs by Johnny Cash, George Jones, and Waylon Jennings.
But even in Nashville times are changing. Huge condos and new luxury hotels are now illuminated by the country bars' neon lights. There's Tennessee Titans football and Nashville Predators hockey, along with Saturn and Nissan automobile assembly plants. And a giant construction crane now lurks over the Ryman, like a giant bird preparing to devour its prey.
Some things, fortunately, haven't changed. Southeast of Nashville, on your way to Chattanooga, if you get lost in the hills far enough, you just might find yourself in Cascade Hollow, just down the road from Normandy, which is quickly becoming a ghost town. In Cascade Hollow, things rarely change. It's where they make George Dickel Tennessee whisky, the same way they've made it for more than a century.
Getting to know George
George Dickel was a real person-a German immigrant and successful merchant in Nashville, TN. After visiting Cascade Hollow in the late 1860s, he decided to build a whisky distillery there. In 1877, the Cascade Distillery was founded. George Dickel marketed his whisky unconventionally without the "e", as most American whiskeys are spelled. He chose the scotch spelling, without the "e", because he felt it was as good as scotch. After George died in 1894, the whisky's name was changed to bear his name in his honor.
Tennessee outlawed whiskey in 1910. The operations were moved to Kentucky, and George Dickel was produced there until Prohibition became federal law in 1919. During Prohibition, the distillery fell into disrepair. When Prohibition ended in 1933, the whisky was once again produced, under license, in Kentucky. Not until 1958, when a new George Dickel distillery was built in Cascade Hollow less than a half mile from the original distillery, was George Dickel whisky produced again in Tennessee.
Dickel was made continuously at this distillery for more than 40 years. The distillery was shut down in 1999 to allow demand to catch up to stocks of whiskey. (Whiskey companies produce whiskey based on projected future demand, and sometimes they aren't completely accurate.) Dickel opened up again in 2003 and has been operating ever since. (The General Store "visitor's center" also re-opened in 2004.)
It's not bourbon
George Dickel is one of only two Tennessee whiskey distilleries. The other is the internationally known Jack Daniel distillery. Contrary to what many whiskey drinkers, bartenders, and liquor store salesmen believe, George Dickel and Jack Daniel's whiskey is not bourbon, which is made predominantly in Kentucky.
There are many similarities between bourbon and Tennessee whiskey. Their main grain ingredient is corn (a whopping 84% when it comes to Dickel), and most of the distilleries complete the "mash bill" with rye and malted barley (8% and 8% each for Dickel). This mash is fermented into a rough form of beer, distilled continuously in a column still and then a pot still (called a "doubler" or "thumper") until a clear, clean, sweet, fiery spirit (akin to really good moonshine) is produced. Both bourbon and Tennessee whiskey are then aged in new charred oak barrels until becoming mature enough to bottle.
However, there is one additional step to the whiskey-making process for George Dickel and Jack Daniel's whiskey. Prior to being put into barrels for aging, the spirit is "mellowed" through vats of sugar maple charcoal which changes the flavor profile of the whiskey. As George Dickel Distillery Manager John Lunn told me when I visited the distillery recently, "We're making bourbon in Tennessee, and we're making it better."
As mellow as moonlight
The entire charcoal mellowing process is a fascinating one. John Lunn: "We make our own charcoal to guarantee the quality. We buy our wood in the winter when the sap is low. We buy it already cut, and we burn it in the open air. While we're burning it, we spray it with water. There's an art to it to determine when to add the water and how much to add. Not enough water, and you end up with ash. Too much water, and you end up with green pieces."
At Dickel, the charcoal is placed in large mellowing tanks, and it is contained within the tanks by wool blankets and stainless steel plates with holes. The entire tank is saturated with Dickel whisky as it works its way through the tank.
"It takes about seven days for the whisky to go through the filtering process," John explained to me. "Unlike Jack Daniel's, we cold chill mellow our whisky. The temperature of spirit is brought down to 40°F during the mellowing process which makes our whisky taste a little different."
When I asked John what he feels the charcoal mellowing does for Tennessee whiskey, he said, "It takes the harshness out of the whiskey, to the point where it's as mellow as moonlight. It takes out the bite."
But what about all those devoted bourbon fans who argue that the charcoal mellowing process also strips the flavor out of the whiskey?
John's reply: "You probably are taking out a little flavor too. What you lose in flavor, you gain by taking out the harshness. It's all about preference and what you're looking for. People aren't happy with just one thing."
George vs. Jack
To me, George Dickel whisky is distinctively different than Jack Daniel's. It tastes lighter, more subtle, and, in some cases, more elegant. I asked John what he thought was the reason why George Dickel tasted different than Jack Daniel's.
"There could be several factors, he explained. "We use a low fusel oil yeast strain, our own culture. We cold chill mellow, which helps remove some of the heavier components. We have a different water supply, and all of our warehouses are only one story high. The temperature and humidity is more uniform throughout with not too much extremes, which probably has an influence."
He pondered the question some more, and then replied, "Then there's our hands-on approach. There's an operator at each location who looks, smells, and tastes. We have no automatic valves. We don't have computers."
The numbers, by George
There are three different George Dickel whiskies: "Old No. 8," "Superior No. 12," and "Barrel Select." None of the whiskies bears an age statement. "We're going for a flavor profile rather than an age statement," John explained. "But generally speaking, the Old No. 8 is 8 to 10 years old, Superior No. 12 is about 10 to 12 years old, and Barrel Select is 11 to 12 years old. We feel that George Dickel is best at 12 years old or younger. Our oldest barrel in the warehouse is from 1994.
When I asked John which one was his favorite, he smiled and said: "They're all great. You can quote me on that."
He wasn't just touting the company line. After tasting all three of the whiskies, I can honestly say that George Dickel whisky's quality is as high as the finest bourbons. There isn't a bad one in the bunch.
The Old No. 8, at about $16, is certainly a great value. It's more than good enough to drink neat, and it's inexpensive enough to use as a mixer. The Superior No. 12 shows more depth, with more oak spice and more heft. It's the boldest of the three and a great sipping whisky for less than $20. The Barrel Select, a new member of the portfolio. At $40, it is the distillery's "super-premium" offering, produced in small batches and (for now anyway) small quantities. It is my favorite of the three from a purely taste perspective, with a lushness, roundness, sophistication, and grace not often seen in a bourbon or Tennessee whiskey.
My only concern is those four years that the distillery was shut down, from 1999 to 2003. This would mean that there's a gap of 3 to 7 year old Dickel. Since all three Dickels are 8 to 12 years old, this not a problem now, but it could start to be as soon as next year. That four year gap will completely encompass the entire portfolio's current age range within five years.
I asked John about this. His response: "You will remember that one of the main reasons for stopping distillation in 1999 was we had built up some excess inventory. However, we have kind of been a victim of our own success. Since the distillery started back up, sales have increased."
He continued. "Our main goal is always to preserve the highest quality that our customers and consumers expect. In order to fulfill this mandate and quality commitment to George Dickel No.8, George Dickel No. 12, and George Dickel Barrel Select, we needed to be proactive in monitoring and distributing our inventory to these three unique brands. This is why Dickel has taken the steps to limit the supply of George Dickel No. 8 to its top 10 major markets. By implementing this step for the short term while we grow our whisky supply, the increased demand we have seen on George Dickel No. 12 can be managed nationally on a consistent and effective basis."
My concern isn't as much the distillery running out of stocks as it is its ability to maintain its quality and consistency of flavor. I can cite many well known whiskies who have struggled with the challenges relating to gaps in production, including The Macallan 18 year old, Ardbeg 17 year old, and practically the entire line of Springbank.
Time will tell whether Dickel can continue to maintain its quality and consistency during its four-year production gap. One thing is for sure, though. The whiskies certainly are pretty tasty right now.
Who knows? If he'd had the good fortune of tasting the new Barrel Select when he was alive, even Hank might have penned a happy tune.
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