George Dickel, a brand deeply rooted in American distillation history, is pushing the boundaries with its line of modern, innovative whiskeys.
It’s not often a historic brand is reinvigorated as a must-have. But that’s what happened when Nicole Austin, now Director of George Dickel and Luxury Whiskey, came on board in 2018. Under her stewardship, the brand has transformed into a powerhouse, turning out award-winning bottles sought after by bartenders and collectors alike.
The brand’s story began in 1878, when George Dickel, an established Nashville merchant, opened Cascade Hollow Distillery. The company was first known as Geo. A. Dickel & Co. The distillery prospered until Prohibition effectively shuttered the business. A full 25 years after the repeal of Prohibition, in 1958, the brand was revived and began producing Geo. A. Dickel Tennessee Whisky. Today, nearly 150 years after the distillery first opened, the brand—now known as George Dickel—continues to produce whiskey in Tullahoma, Tennessee.
When Austin arrived on the scene, she brought a fresh perspective, having worked at both a small craft distillery in Brooklyn, where she honed her creative instincts, as well as Tullamore Dew, where she learned the rigors and efficiencies of working with a large facility. She viewed the job as twofold, she recalls: first, to preserve the standard and legacy of the Tennessee whiskey brand; second, to find a way to work with a significant archive of aged whiskey.
“What’s the best use of this whiskey?” Austin remembers thinking. “Given all this inventory we have,
This Article was originally published on Wine Enthusiast
