Tumblin' Dice Straight Bourbon Curated Small Batch (2024) Review & Tasting Notes

 

Have you heard of Dave Schmier? If you’re an American whiskey fan and are unfamiliar with Dave, you should get to know him. He has a long and storied history plucking incredible barrels from distilleries around the world. He’s won a handful of my end-of-year Whiskeyfellow Awards.

 

Dave started with but never lost sight of MGP. Believe it or not, there was a time when so many naysayers rolled their eyes when yet another MGP-sourced whiskey hit the market. Some of those very same people currently swear up and down about how fantastic MGP is.

 

Dave built his reputation by sourcing some of the best barrels MPG offered under his Redemption brand. After much success, he sold Redemption to Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits. He took his winnings, rolled the dice again, and in 2015, he started Proof and Wood Ventures.

 

Today, Proof and Wood has grown to include several brands. One of its most popular is Tumblin’ Dice, which has Dave doing what he does best: betting on winners from MGP (now Ross and Squibb) stocks.

 

Something that I appreciate about Proof and Wood is its transparency. Most of what you’d want to know is easily discerned from the label.

 

Tumblin’ Dice Straight Bourbon Curated Small Batch is distilled from a heavy rye mashbill consisting of 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley. It comes from an Indiana distillery and has aged at least four years in new, charred oak barrels. Packaged at 50% ABV (100°), it has a suggested price of about $30.00, making it a very affordable option.

 

The lack of a severe hit on the wallet is nice, but is there value in this whiskey? We #DrinkCurious to answer that, but before I get there, I must thank Proof and Wood for providing me with a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.   

 

Appearance: I poured Tumblin’ Dice into my Glencairn glass to sip neat. Inside, it had a coppery hue. The thick, jagged rim released crooked, wavy tears that fell back into the pool.

 

Nose: Rye and cinnamon joined cola, vanilla, caramel, and oak to form a spicy yet sweet aroma. When I drew that air past my lips, there was smoky caramel.

 

Palate: The creamy, thick mouthfeel introduced the front of my palate to smoked almonds, caramel, and vanilla. The middle featured cola, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I tasted dark chocolate, barrel char, and orange zest on the back.

 

Finish: Flavors of chocolate, charred oak, cinnamon spice, orange zest, and caramel stuck around for a very long finish.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Dave knows how to pick MGP barrels. He’s proven that again with Tumblin’ Dice Straight Bourbon. For $30.00, he’s delivering a flavorful 100° whiskey that can be enjoyed neat or as part of your favorite cocktail. Is there something to dislike? If so, it eludes me. There’s no reason in the world that Tumblin’ Dice Straight Bourbon Curated Small Batch deserves anything besides my Bottle rating. Cheers!    

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.