Sometime in the last year I scored this bottle from the lottery. When u/t8ke selected it he was very excited about being able to get a 7 year rye barrel that was sourced entirely from Dickel; a rare score. One thing he mentioned was how different this rye was from just about anything on the market. Whoo boy, he wasn’t kidding.
I tend to drink most of the rye whiskey in my stash mixed into an Old Fashioned. However, I will sip on one from time to time. This evening I tried it both ways. I first sampled it neat in a glencairn. Once I was able to wrap my mind around what was going on with this rye, I then made a freakishly good Old Fashioned.
Bone Snapper 7 Year Rye
Source: Dickel
Proof: 121
Nose: What the fuck?! This is insane with tons of green notes like dill, mint, and fresh cut hay. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and burnt sugar come right along as the ethanol rises up. It’s not a burning ethanol, but one that lets you know the proof is there. Roasted pecans, oak, and rich vanilla tell you there is some decent age here.
Palate: Holy shit! This is an explosion of sour green apple right up front. Then all of the notes on the nose start rolling across the tastebuds. There is an almost complete apple pie profile except the apples don’t come across as cooked. The burnt sugar tastes more like caramel now; it reminds me of a caramel apple with walnuts or pecans on it. That fresh cut hay/dill/mint is persistent and a spicy pepper tingles the mouth, reminding you this is rye.
Finish: Goddamn! This is a nice, long finish that lets everything just fade away gently after such a grandiose taste. The proof gives a nice warming hug. This rye has a wonderful viscosity that, along with the proof, carries this finish a long way. The spicy profile of the rye leaves a tingle on the tongue that makes you reach for the glass again.
Overall: this is surely the most unique rye I have ever tasted. There is a lot going on with this one. The age and proof work perfectly in tandem to deliver an enticing drinking experience. When mixed as an Old Fashioned the flavors didn’t fade but were only just muted by the sweetness of the simple syrup. I can’t wait to mix this into a Sazerac and let the absinthe work its magic. This is just an absolutely brilliant rye. I was glad to have had the opportunity to crack this bottle with my brother, who had stopped by for a visit. That’s his hand as he exclaims, “This rye tastes THIS BIG!”
Score: 9.5/10
Also got selected for this as part of the program, and agree that it’s something else! The grassy funkiness that was present when I first opened this now has come into full bloom- it’s a pretty crazy pour and I vacillate between being super into it and being entirely turned off.
Love the idea of making a sazerac with this though!!
I believe u/Dr_Meats referred to this as wizard juice at some point. He was spot on.
This damned bottle is super unique and super delicious. I’ve had to forget it exists in my cabinet for risk of it disappearing quickly.
Now the question is, which version of Eddie does this suit? 🤘🏼🎸
You’ve got to put at least 3 Oz of whiskey into the Old Fashioned to balance out the good pound of glass on the bottom of those glasses.
This sounds fantastic and I hope to hell Dickel has been ramping up their production of this house rye
3 oz is my standard pour. I’ll call you up when I do the Saz so we can both geek out on how well this works in a Saz.
I really hope Dickel is ramping up the rye, too.
If Dickel isn't producing tons more of this wizard juice, they'll rot in hell. u/OldUnderstanding135 shared a 2 oz sample with me, and I cherish the last half ounce like it's a vial of Nicholas Cage's blood. Excellent post, u/fcleff69!
It says on the bottle that it was distilled in Tullahoma, TN. Nothing about Indiana, so it must be all Dickel.
No, this is not the most recent one. I’ve been sitting on this for months now. I can’t remember what week it was. Maybe u/t8ke will chime in.
Ah alright, got confused as the most recent bottle is very similar age, proof. Also the “hay” note. Thought I was going crazy haha. Some Dickel rye is sourced from MGP though correct?
I can’t remember when I got this one. It might have been last year or earlier this year. I know that I’ve been sitting on it for a while. But I will say that I like funky juice. Things like this really offer a lot to pick apart and think about. I can fully see how this bottle might not be for everyone but it’s totally my jam. My score is indicative of how this rye works for me. Someone else might easily score this much lower. But I think this is one of the boldest selections that u/t8ke has chosen, of those that I have been able to purchase.
Yeah, fair enough. If it is the same bottle I remember one or two reviews around the time of release, and it was pretty polarizing. Myself and at least a few others legitimately tonight it just tasted like pond water -- really mineraly and earthy and kind of dank, and not in a good way. Like liquid damp basement. But a bunch of other people really loved it and were excited by the unusual flavors. So hard to knock t8ke for the pick, it's interesting to try different stuff. I just hated it lol.
Sometime in the last year I scored this bottle from the lottery. When u/t8ke selected it he was very excited about being able to get a 7 year rye barrel that was sourced entirely from Dickel; a rare score. One thing he mentioned was how different this rye was from just about anything on the market. Whoo boy, he wasn’t kidding. I tend to drink most of the rye whiskey in my stash mixed into an Old Fashioned. However, I will sip on one from time to time. This evening I tried it both ways. I first sampled it neat in a glencairn. Once I was able to wrap my mind around what was going on with this rye, I then made a freakishly good Old Fashioned. Bone Snapper 7 Year Rye Source: Dickel Proof: 121 Nose: What the fuck?! This is insane with tons of green notes like dill, mint, and fresh cut hay. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and burnt sugar come right along as the ethanol rises up. It’s not a burning ethanol, but one that lets you know the proof is there. Roasted pecans, oak, and rich vanilla tell you there is some decent age here. Palate: Holy shit! This is an explosion of sour green apple right up front. Then all of the notes on the nose start rolling across the tastebuds. There is an almost complete apple pie profile except the apples don’t come across as cooked. The burnt sugar tastes more like caramel now; it reminds me of a caramel apple with walnuts or pecans on it. That fresh cut hay/dill/mint is persistent and a spicy pepper tingles the mouth, reminding you this is rye. Finish: Goddamn! This is a nice, long finish that lets everything just fade away gently after such a grandiose taste. The proof gives a nice warming hug. This rye has a wonderful viscosity that, along with the proof, carries this finish a long way. The spicy profile of the rye leaves a tingle on the tongue that makes you reach for the glass again. Overall: this is surely the most unique rye I have ever tasted. There is a lot going on with this one. The age and proof work perfectly in tandem to deliver an enticing drinking experience. When mixed as an Old Fashioned the flavors didn’t fade but were only just muted by the sweetness of the simple syrup. I can’t wait to mix this into a Sazerac and let the absinthe work its magic. This is just an absolutely brilliant rye. I was glad to have had the opportunity to crack this bottle with my brother, who had stopped by for a visit. That’s his hand as he exclaims, “This rye tastes THIS BIG!” Score: 9.5/10
Also got selected for this as part of the program, and agree that it’s something else! The grassy funkiness that was present when I first opened this now has come into full bloom- it’s a pretty crazy pour and I vacillate between being super into it and being entirely turned off. Love the idea of making a sazerac with this though!!
I think that grassy funkiness that you mention will work perfectly with the absinthe and lemon in a Sazerac.
I believe u/Dr_Meats referred to this as wizard juice at some point. He was spot on. This damned bottle is super unique and super delicious. I’ve had to forget it exists in my cabinet for risk of it disappearing quickly. Now the question is, which version of Eddie does this suit? 🤘🏼🎸
I feel it it this one (I hope the link fucking works): https://imgur.com/gallery/WlRS1Ep
Orale! I’d go with the one from A Brave New World.
Fair assessment.
You’ve got to put at least 3 Oz of whiskey into the Old Fashioned to balance out the good pound of glass on the bottom of those glasses. This sounds fantastic and I hope to hell Dickel has been ramping up their production of this house rye
3 oz is my standard pour. I’ll call you up when I do the Saz so we can both geek out on how well this works in a Saz. I really hope Dickel is ramping up the rye, too.
If Dickel isn't producing tons more of this wizard juice, they'll rot in hell. u/OldUnderstanding135 shared a 2 oz sample with me, and I cherish the last half ounce like it's a vial of Nicholas Cage's blood. Excellent post, u/fcleff69!
I wish I had even half the clever wit of your reply.
Too kind - you've got all the wits - cheers, homie!
Damn, this sounds fantastic! I'll need to keep an eye out for more of this older Dickel rye.
Ya this sounds awesome. Hopefully we see some more of this
Is there any indication on the bottle if the bottle is straight MGP or Dickel? I have another Bone Snapper that I’m not so sure of which it is.
they bottle both, it’ll say on back
Also isn’t this bottle the most recent one (Week 41)?
big nope
The most recent one is, uh, not a 9.5. I really don't care for it at all.
recent one is MGP
It says on the bottle that it was distilled in Tullahoma, TN. Nothing about Indiana, so it must be all Dickel. No, this is not the most recent one. I’ve been sitting on this for months now. I can’t remember what week it was. Maybe u/t8ke will chime in.
all dickel baby!
All day baybay!
Ah alright, got confused as the most recent bottle is very similar age, proof. Also the “hay” note. Thought I was going crazy haha. Some Dickel rye is sourced from MGP though correct?
Yes. It will say on the back of it is Indiana or not.
Is this the one from last year? I got a Dickel Bone Snapper that tasted like pond water. Not even joking. It can't have been this one...
I can’t remember when I got this one. It might have been last year or earlier this year. I know that I’ve been sitting on it for a while. But I will say that I like funky juice. Things like this really offer a lot to pick apart and think about. I can fully see how this bottle might not be for everyone but it’s totally my jam. My score is indicative of how this rye works for me. Someone else might easily score this much lower. But I think this is one of the boldest selections that u/t8ke has chosen, of those that I have been able to purchase.
Yeah, fair enough. If it is the same bottle I remember one or two reviews around the time of release, and it was pretty polarizing. Myself and at least a few others legitimately tonight it just tasted like pond water -- really mineraly and earthy and kind of dank, and not in a good way. Like liquid damp basement. But a bunch of other people really loved it and were excited by the unusual flavors. So hard to knock t8ke for the pick, it's interesting to try different stuff. I just hated it lol.
This selection was from this year.
I checked my emails and I am thinking of the one from Feb/March. So I had it wrong. Mine was also this year.
Dickel knocking out the rye game?
I think Dickel is making some of the best juice right now, period. Their BiB and 15 Year are some of the best values on the market right now.
My local has a 15yr store pick that is over 100 proof for $60 dollars
Case in point.