By Richard Thomas
Rating: A-
I find myself rather dismayed, sitting here in January 2022, that the autumn release of the George Dickel and Leopold Brothers collaboration blend did not garner more of a buzz among enthusiasts. It certainly got attention from us booze writers, but I didn’t see much enthusiasm expressed on forums and in bars… which to me just reflects how badly skewed the attention of your average whiskey drinker is towards all things made at Buffalo Trace.
Seriously, the first person who says they would rather have a bottle of ordinary Sazerac Rye over a bottle of this in my presence will get some sense smacked into them. For real.
The first thing that makes this expression so exciting is right on the label: the words “Leopold Brothers” and “Three Chamber.” You see, the Colorado craft distillery Leopold Brothers has long invested in the bygone styles of pre-Prohibition heyday of rye whiskey. At The Whiskey Reviewer, we are already familiar with their Maryland Style Rye.
They carried this investment so far as to have Vendome, the famed Louisville, Kentucky-based still-maker, build a three chamber still for them. This still design was one of the signatures of the Pennsylvania rye, in that while not all Keystone State distilleries used a three chamber still, the only place one might be found was there. The one Vendome made for Leopold Brothers was the first built since Prohibition, and had to be based on historical drawings.
Add to that this part: unlike the staple George Dickel Rye, this whiskey was made at Cascade Hollow. When I visited the distillery several years ago, I was told their equipment wasn’t set up to handle mashing and fermenting sticky rye. Instead, they sourced George Dickel Rye from MGP in Indiana, albeit with the stipulation that MGP do their own version of the Lincoln County Process in the name of consistency. The whiskey going into this collaboration blend was made at Cascade Hollow; it is in-house, not sourced. That is the first time any such whiskey has been released from the Tullahoma, Tennessee-based distiller.
Finally, the able hands of Nicole Austin are all over the release. If you don’t think that isn’t a big deal, you haven’t tried one of the George Dickel Bottled in Bond releases.
The Whiskey
In contrast to the usual copper coloring that so many rye whiskeys have, this mix of homegrown Dickel rye and Leopold Brothers three chamber rye has a middle amber look. The scent has that pumpernickel and dill character that I associate with malted rye, but in this instance that character is much more mellow and restrained than it has ever been before.
The palate shows sophistication, and came at me in waves. The first wave was an herbal style of spiciness; this was followed by a wave of sweetness akin to brioche with a vanilla drizzle; and that was subsumed by a final wave of Darjeeling tea and dried flowers style of spiciness. The finish brings all three of those threads together for the first time, running them out in a long, lingering experience. Each step of this whiskey is as lovely as it is nuanced.
The Price
This item ain’t cheap, but in modern terms and especially for rye fans, it is worth $110 per bottle. Keep in mind that Leopold Brother’s three chamber rye as a standalone release commands $250 a bottle.