I've Tasted Thousands of Whiskeys. This Bargain Bourbon Is Better Than Jack Daniel's

There are hundreds of whiskeys that command attention, whether due to reputation or hype. Some come from storied brands—looking at you, Buffalo Trace—while others come from newcomers whose popularity is ascendant but fresh. In my opinion, most of these buzzy bottles are overhyped, their prices exceeding their flavor.

Instead of falling victim to those pricy, popular bottles, I actively seek diamonds in the rough and less trendy options. George Dickel Bourbon is one of my favorites.

Dickel is a brand that’s seen as stodgy despite releasing some truly innovative stuff in the last few years, like 15-year-old whiskey that’s not quite whiskey and a ground-breaking rye blend in collaboration with craft distillery Leopold Bros.

Dickel has always played second fiddle to Jack Daniel’s, its famous Tennessee neighbor. And it’s long been criticized by for a flavor described as “Flintstones vitamins.” Its packaging is about as old-fashioned as it gets, which is a plus if you’re a new brand trying to clothe yourself in borrowed heritage, but apparently a minus if you actually do have more than 150 years of history behind you, like Dickel does.

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But I urge you to look past all that and take a not-so-big risk on George Dickel Bourbon. It’s labeled as bourbon, not Tennessee whiskey, even though Tennessee whiskey is, at its heart, bourbon. The category meets all the requirements for bourbon with a couple of extra mandates: It has to be made in Tennessee and undergo maple charcoal filtration, otherwise known as the Lincoln County Process. Despite being an extra step, this doesn’t disqualify a Tennessee whiskey from its status as a bourbon, as there are no rules against such a practice for bourbon.

Regardless, George Dickel Bourbon is worth your attention. The bourbon is eight years old, about double what you get with most entry-level offerings. Couple that with its price—as low as $23 in some places—and you begin to see that it's an amazing deal.

Most importantly, George Dickel Bourbon is tasty. With a mash bill that’s 84 percent corn, 8 percent rye, and 8 percent malted barley, it's effectively the same liquid as regular Dickel. The mix of barrels has been deliberately blended to create a different profile from, say, Dickel Signature Recipe or Classic Recipe.

Although the haters may still taste those disliked Flintstones fruity notes, the rest of us can enjoy the bourbon’s warm and robust oak-forward palate and light, oily mouthfeel. Like most Dickel bottlings, it’s supremely nutty with bright citrus notes like candied orange and fresh-peeled lemon, as well as leathery dried cherry chewiness, sprinkled with black pepper and cocoa powder. Overall, it’s a solid middle-ground bourbon with clean definition and structure—the kind of bourbon I always keep on my shelf as a reliable house pour.

Because it’s easy to find and so affordable, there’s almost no chance that it’ll ever get hitched to the hype train. Which is great news for those of us who would rather drink good bourbon for cheap than chase after the unicorn of the week.

Related: Don't Listen to Whiskey Snobs. Here Are the Best Ways to Enjoy Bourbon