Tumblin' Dice Single Barrel Double Oak Bourbon Review & Tasting Notes

 

As I have said for many years, age is just a number. Too many people are fixated on the notion that older must be better, yet the truth is far from that. With Bourbon, so much depends on the barrel itself, the entry and bottling proof, what part and floor of the rickhouse it slept, what its immediate environment consists of, etc.

 

Younger Bourbons can be too harsh, dominated by ethanol and funky wood notes. Ancient Bourbons can easily become overoaked; no amount of added water will fix that. In my opinion, there’s a sweet spot of between four and eight years, but that’s not a steadfast rule. I’ve had some lovely two-year Bourbons and absolutely hideous six-year pours that still make me cringe whenever I think about them.

 

The other issue with age statements is they can be inaccurate. They reflect the absolute youngest whiskey component in the bottle. Yet, there may be nothing that young in it. For example, if you have a six-year age statement, nothing in the bottle is less than six years old. Everything in the bottle could be eight years or more. That’s confusing, right?

 

Well, it gets even more so. Let’s say you have a Bourbon aged four years in new, charred oak. Then, you take that Bourbon, dump the barrel, and place it into another new, charred oak barrel for another four years. How old is it?

 

Eight. Right? Well, not so fast. Yeah, it aged eight years in new, charred oak, but they were two separate barrels. I will be honest – I was confused. I asked two people who I consider experts in Bourbon rules and regulations. One said four years, and the other suggested eight. My gut reaction is the former is correct. If the second barrel was vintage cooperage, the answer is definitely four. The new oak is what’s throwing me off. And, for what it is worth, I couldn’t find an answer via the TTB website. 

Dave Schmier told me he went to the TTB to get a definition. This is what he said:

"[O]ur dialogue with TTB even though we used same barrels to age because we lowered the proof we could only state at 4 years even though the whiskey is eight."

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter because age is just a number.

 

I’m diving deep into Tumblin’ Dice Single Barrel Double Oak Bourbon today. It comes from Proof and Wood Ventures, led by Dave Schmier. If you don’t know Dave, he’s been at the art of sourcing whiskeys from around the world for many years. He founded Redemption, sold it off, and then founded Proof and Wood. Let’s just say he’s very talented at what he does.

 

Tumblin’ Dice Single Barrel Double Oak Bourbon was sourced from MGP of Indiana. This Bourbon, distilled in July 2015 from a mash of 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley, rested four years in new, charred oak. In March 2020, that barrel’s contents were placed in a second, new, charred oak barrel for another four years. It is packaged at 51.2% ABV (102.4°), and a 750ml bottle has a suggested price of $60.00.   

 

Before I #DrinkCurious, I must thank Proof and Wood for providing me with a sample of this Bourbon in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s do this!

 

Appearance: I poured this Bourbon into my Glencairn glass to sip neat. Inside, it looked like liquid caramel. The whiskey formed a thick rim that discharged wide, crooked tears.

 

Nose: I smelled corn, vanilla bean, nutmeg, orange peel, toasted oak, and mint. It was all sweet butterscotch when I pulled that aroma into my mouth.

 

Palate: The thick, weighty mouthfeel introduced the front of my palate to vanilla, English toffee, and orange zest. I tasted leather, tobacco, and nutmeg at mid-palate; then, flavors of clove, dry oak, and barrel char rounded out the back.

 

Finish: For its stated proof, the finish was shorter than I expected. It featured coffee, leather, tobacco, charred oak, and, at the very end, sweet caramel. Overall, its duration was 0:55, making it medium-long.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I have but one complaint about Tumblin’ Dice Single Barrel Double Oak, and that’s how I wish the finish was extended 30 or so seconds. Aside from that, it is a solid Bourbon with a lot of character. It drank at right about its advertised proof. I expected more heavy oak notes that never materialized.

 

Tumblin’ Dice Single Barrel Double Oak is affordable and worth picking up a Bottle. I know I’m happy to have it in my whiskey library. 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.