Of course we love Jack and Nearest, but there’s enough Tennessee-whiskey making pride to go around. Whisky Advocate Magazine recently named another regional spirit as their 2019 Top Whiskey of the Year … George Dickel’s Bottled in Bond.

George Dickel, under the new umbrella of Cascade Hollow Distilling Co., has been putting their full support behind their newest General Manager and Distiller, Nicole Austin. She’s a 33-year-old whiskey industry rock star in the making. She graduated from Manhattan College with a major in Chemical Engineering in 2006, before landing her position as a Master Blender for Kings County Distillery in 2010. George Dickel Bottled in Bond is her first creation in Coffee County and we aren’t exaggerating when we say, she knocked it out of the park.

According to the Distillery, this award-winning iteration is a bit of spirit serendipity. As Austin roamed the distillery’s warehouses when she arrived, she happened upon a long-forgotten batch of 13-year-old stock, all distilled in a single season. This just happens to be the very same requirement of the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897.

Once she tasted these 2005 barrels, the whiskey immediately stood out.

The folks at Whisky Advocate Magazine seem to agree. George Dickel’s Bottled in Bond is number one on the 2019 Top 20 Whiskies of the Year. It’s the oldest (and most affordable) whiskey to ever make the top spot. At just $36 a bottle, it’s a steal.

George Dickel’s Bottled in Bond was the only Tennessee Whiskey to make the list. To read their review, click here. To see the entire Top 20 list, click here. •

{The Lynchburg Times is an independently owned and operated newspaper that publishes new stories every morning. Covering Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}