Let's take a look at Dixon Dedman's most affordable of the 2XO (two times oak) brand, "American Oak," a whiskey which is finished a second time in HIGHLY charred barrels. Double oak or double barrel finishes have been very popular in recent years, but often the results are mixed. So much flavor is derived from the barrel, that adding a NEW freshly charred barrel to the mix can greatly affect the flavor profile, and in some instances add too much. There's also the issue with heavily flavored second barrels which essentially render the base liquid null and void because it transfers the whiskey into a sickly sweet version of itself. So, what's up with Dedman's American Oak? For starters the nose is candy corn sweet with a touch of menthol and cassis, nothing over-oaked at all, but pleasantly sweet to smell. On the palate the 92 proof spirit presents as sweet initially followed by rye spice, then oak spice. The finish is medium long, but the chewy sweet oak mid-palate is where this whiskey really shines. More than middle of the road, this really is fantastic juice that shouldn't be overlooked.