The 2XO Icon Series Vertical: Three Limited Blends

Three releases from Dixon Dedman's Icon Series, side by side.

A vertical is a set of related bottles you taste next to each other. These are the fourth, fifth, and sixth releases in 2XO's Icon Series (the line 2XO now calls the Collectibles Series), all blended by Dixon Dedman and all bottled at 104 proof. They start from the same two bourbons, a high-rye (35% rye) and a moderate-rye (18% rye), and each one gives part of the high-rye a second barrel of new charred oak. What changes is how much gets the second barrel, and how heavy the char is. Taste them in order and you can pick out what that does.

The Kiawah Blend (No. 4, 2024). Named for the South Carolina island where Dedman's family has vacationed since he was a kid. 60% double-barreled high-rye, char #3 and #4. 2XO's notes: cinnamon, nutmeg, cedar, vanilla, clove. Whisky Advocate gave it 93 points and put it at No. 14 on its Top 20 of 2024.

The Sneakerhead Blend (No. 5, 2024). Dedman's nod to sneaker culture. Same 60% double-barreled share and char levels as Kiawah, but 2XO lists banana bread and vanilla on the nose, then cinnamon, allspice, and pepper.

The Vinyl Blend (No. 6, 2025). 2XO's ode to Dedman's love of music on vinyl. Only 40% double-barreled, all at char #4, with the rest split evenly between the two plain bourbons. 2XO's notes: baked apple and graham cracker, then crème brûlée and grilled pineapple.

All three now sit on 2XO's previous-releases list. The brand's suggested price is $99.99 a bottle; this box is $240 for the three, shipping included.

FAQ

Can I buy the bottles one at a time?
Yes. Each one has its own page in our Re-Order Store at $80.

What order should I taste them in?
Release order works: Kiawah, Sneakerhead, then Vinyl. Kiawah and Sneakerhead share a recipe shape, so tasting them back to back shows how two batches of the same idea can differ. Vinyl uses less double-barreled whiskey, so it comes last as the contrast.

What does "char #4" mean?
It's how long the inside of a new barrel was burned before filling. Higher means longer, and #4 is the top of the common range. That burned layer gives bourbon a lot of its color and caramel.