News

A short history about The George Dickel Brand

WHO IS SMOKE WAGON? You could say that Smoke Wagon started back in 2012, the moment that Aaron Chepenik and Jonathan Hensleigh set foot on the old Seagrams plant and purchased all 10 barrels of 36% Rye that was available.   Midwest Grain Producers (MGP) acquired the famous Lawrenceburg Distillery in October 2011. The Distillery had been operating under the name Seagrams following Prohibition until 2000. Fast forward to present day and Smoke Wagon is one of the most recognisable bottles of American Whiskey in the World, alongside famous expressions like 'Beam White Label' and 'Jack Daniel's Old No. 7'. How...

Let it be known that there is a difference between drinking bourbon and tasting bourbon. Drinking bourbon is how you prefer to drink it, whether it is on the rocks, neat, or in a mixed drink. Tasting bourbon is paying attention to the nuances and aromas without a mixer or anything to dull the flavours (Some of the tastes you might discover are: caramel, butterscotch, toffee, fruits, maple syrup, etc depending on the bourbon you taste AND how good you are at detecting the individual notes from the bourbon). So how do I taste bourbon? Pick a bourbon or two,...

When looking at American distilled spirits, two of the biggest players that immediately come to mind are Bourbon Whiskey and Rye Whiskey. But just what is the difference between bourbon and rye? We discussed in a previous blog about the requirements for Bourbon, but to summarise It must be made in the United States of America (not just Kentucky!) It must contain at least 51% corn in the fermented grain mash (though the number is usually much higher) It must be distilled at no more than 80% alcohol by volume (160 proof) It must be aged in new, charred oak...