What in tarnation is this stuff?! George Dickel Tennessee Whisky and McIlhenny Company’s Tabasco just combined forces on a new hybrid spirit, George Dickel TABASCO Brand Barrel Finish.
It’s also known as … Hot Dickel.
You can make a lot of jokes with that. Yeah. Maybe not at the office.
What’s the deal? First, remember that Tennessee whisky is not quite a bourbon: after distillation, Dickel is chilled before filtering through sugar-maple charcoal. Here, the spirit also rests for 30 days in barrels used to age tabasco peppers. Pepper sauce is also distilled to create an “essence,” which is blended together with the whisky.
It looks like … A giant Tabasco bottle, thanks to the green foil neckband, diamond logo and red/white label. The spirit itself is a light brown-ish hue no different than a regular whisky.
Will booze snobs like this? It’s already won a gold medal this year at this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition, one of the most respected booze competitions in the world.
OK, tough guy, try it. The Tabasco is really present on the nose. Like, overpoweringly so (with a hint of oak). Going down the hatch, however, it’s an exceptionally smooth (credit the low 35% ABV) and sweet whisky with just the tiniest hint of pepper on the finish.
They recommend … Taking it as a shot with celery salt on the rim, or with pickle juice or ice as the chaser (aka a spicy Dickel pickleback … say that five times fast).
We recommend … Trying it in a whisky Bloody Mary (or a Brown Mary, as some call it).
Worth it? At just $25-$30, yes.
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