George Dickel
George Dickel is a Tennessee whisky brand produced at Cascade Hollow Distillery in Coffee County, Tennessee, and owned by Diageo.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
George Dickel is an American whisky brand associated with Cascade Hollow Distillery near Tullahoma in Coffee County, Tennessee. Although the modern George Dickel brand was introduced in 1964, its roots reach back to the nineteenth-century Cascade whisky trade. The brand takes its name from George A. Dickel, a German-born Nashville liquor merchant who began selling spirits in the 1860s. Dickel and his business partners distributed whisky made in the Cascade Hollow area, where local distillers developed a product marketed as Cascade Whisky and promoted with the phrase “Mellow as Moonlight.” The modern brand emerged after Schenley Distilling Company acquired the Cascade trademark from the heirs of Victor Emmanuel Shwab in 1937. Schenley initially produced the whisky in Kentucky, but later sought to rebuild the Tennessee operation and compete more directly with Jack Daniel’s. After Tennessee legislation permitted liquor production in Coffee County, Schenley reconstructed a distillery in Cascade Hollow. The first mash at the rebuilt facility was produced on July 4, 1959, and George Dickel Tennessee Whisky reached the market in 1964. George Dickel distinguishes itself from many American whisky brands through its use of the Scottish spelling “whisky” on its labels. The company has attributed this choice to George Dickel’s belief that the product was as smooth and refined as leading Scotch whiskies. Production uses a mash bill reported as 84 percent corn, 8 percent rye, and 8 percent malted barley. The spirit is chilled to approximately 40 degrees Fahrenheit and passed through charcoal in a version of the Lincoln County process before barrel aging. The whisky enters barrels at 55 percent alcohol by volume, and the distillery uses relatively low, one-story warehouses intended to reduce variation in aging conditions. Products are generally aged for at least five years before consideration for bottling, with chill filtration also used. The portfolio has historically included Old No. 8 Brand, Superior No. 12 Brand, Barrel Select, limited or selected barrels, rye whisky, and other special releases. The brand’s rye is an exception to the Tennessee production model: it has been produced under contract at MGP Ingredients in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, before charcoal filtration and bottling elsewhere by Diageo. George Dickel also introduced the No. 1 Foundation Recipe, an unaged version of its standard corn-heavy mash bill, around 2014. A short-lived three-year-old Old-Fashioned Cascade Hollow Batch Recipe was introduced to address shortages while older stocks recovered. The distillery experienced a significant production interruption in the 1990s after increased output created excess supply and wastewater-related operational concerns. It reopened in 2003, but depleted inventories contributed to later market shortages, including an Old No. 8 shortage by 2007. The historic original Cascade Hollow site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. The distillery remains a public visitor destination and is associated with the American Whiskey Trail. Diageo now owns the brand following a sequence of corporate mergers and acquisitions. Nicole Austin became general manager and distiller of Cascade Hollow Distilling Co. in 2018, succeeding a period in which John Lunn supervised the operation.
History
George Dickel’s history begins with George A. Dickel, who was born in Germany in 1818 and emigrated to the United States in 1844. He established a retail business in Nashville during the 1850s and was selling liquor by 1861. After the Civil War, he operated a liquor store on South College Street and expanded into wholesale distribution. By the late 1860s, George A. Dickel and Company was purchasing whisky from regional distillers and distributing it in barrels, jugs, and bottles. Meier Saltzkotter joined the firm as a partner in 1871, while Victor Emmanuel Shwab, Dickel’s brother-in-law and a former bookkeeper, became a partner in 1881. The company distributed whisky produced in Cascade Hollow near Normandy, Tennessee, by John F. Brown and F. E. Cunningham. Matthew Sims acquired Brown’s interest in 1879, and McLin Davis joined the operation in 1883. Davis became its distiller and is credited with the recipe associated with Cascade Whisky. By the early 1890s, Cascade had become a well-known regional brand. Its “Mellow as Moonlight” slogan referred to a practice of cooling mash at night. Dickel’s health deteriorated after an accident in 1886, and Shwab assumed increasing responsibility for the wholesale business. In 1888, Shwab acquired Sims’s share of the Cascade distillery, making Dickel and Company the exclusive distributor. He also purchased Nashville’s Climax Saloon and promoted it as the headquarters of Cascade Whisky. After McLin Davis died in 1898, his son Norman briefly managed the distillery, but litigation brought by Shwab resulted in the sale of Norman Davis’s interest. George Dickel died in 1894 and left his share of the wholesale company to his wife, Augusta. She retained the interest without participating in daily operations, and upon her death in 1916 it passed to Shwab. Shwab strongly opposed the growth of prohibition and spent substantial sums lobbying against restrictions in Tennessee. Nevertheless, Tennessee enacted prohibition in 1910. Cascade production moved to the Stitzel Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky, and stopped after Kentucky adopted statewide prohibition in 1917. National Prohibition brought the operation to a complete halt in 1920. Following repeal of national Prohibition in 1933, Shwab’s heirs sold the Cascade brand to Schenley Distilling Company in 1937. Because the original recipe had not been written down, Schenley had to reconstruct it from the recollections of two former Cascade Hollow distillers. During the 1940s and 1950s, the product was made at the OFC Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky and marketed as Geo. A. Dickel’s Cascade Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky. Schenley attempted to acquire Jack Daniel’s in 1956. After that effort failed, the company chose to revive one of its own brands in Tennessee and compete with Jack Daniel’s. Legislation passed in 1958 made liquor production legal again in Coffee County, allowing Schenley executive Ralph Dupps to rebuild the Cascade Hollow distillery. The new plant stood approximately a mile from the historic site but continued to use Cascade Branch water and the Lincoln County charcoal-mellowing process. Its first mash was produced on July 4, 1959, and the first George Dickel bottles appeared in 1964. Production expanded in the 1990s, eventually exceeding demand. The distillery was closed both to allow market inventories to normalize and to address wastewater concerns. The historic original site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. Production resumed in 2003, but the interruption contributed to tight inventories and an Old No. 8 shortage by 2007. To bridge the supply gap, the company introduced a younger three-year-old Old-Fashioned Cascade Hollow Batch Recipe, which was discontinued in 2013 after older stocks had recovered. The brand broadened its range with George Dickel Rye in 2012 and the No. 1 Foundation Recipe in 2014. Rye is made under contract in Indiana and subsequently charcoal filtered and bottled for Diageo. The Foundation Recipe uses an unaged version of the brand’s standard corn-dominant mash bill. John Lunn supervised Cascade Distillery from 2005 to 2015. Nicole Austin became general manager and distiller in 2018. Corporate mergers and acquisitions eventually placed George Dickel under Diageo, where the brand continues to operate from Cascade Hollow and offers tours to the public.
- 2018
Nicole Austin takes over Cascade Hollow leadership
[1]Nicole Austin became general manager and distiller of Cascade Hollow Distilling Co.
- 2014
Foundation Recipe and bottling expansion
[1]The No. 1 Foundation Recipe was introduced, and a new bottling line was installed around the same period.
- 2012
George Dickel Rye launches
[1]The brand introduced a rye whisky produced under contract at MGP Ingredients in Indiana.
- 2003
Distillery production resumes
[1]Cascade Hollow reopened after its 1990s production closure.
- 1994
Historic Cascade Hollow site receives national recognition
[1]The original distillery site was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1964
George Dickel Tennessee Whisky reaches the market
[1]Schenley introduced the modern George Dickel brand using the revived Cascade Hollow production operation.
- 1959
First mash produced at the rebuilt distillery
[1]The reconstructed Cascade Hollow facility produced its first mash on July 4.
- 1958
Reconstruction of Cascade Hollow Distillery begins
[1]After a legal change permitted production in Coffee County, Schenley rebuilt the distillery in Cascade Hollow.
- 1937
Schenley acquires the Cascade brand
[1]The heirs of Victor Emmanuel Shwab sold the brand to Schenley Distilling Company.
- 1920
National Prohibition halts production
[1]The nationwide prohibition regime ended the Cascade operation altogether.
Products and positioning
A heritage Tennessee whisky brand positioned around Cascade Hollow provenance, charcoal mellowing, chill filtration, traditional production methods, and a smooth style. Its use of the Scottish spelling “whisky” provides a distinctive identity within the American whiskey category.
Tennessee whisky
Old No. 8 Brand
Old No. 8 is one of George Dickel’s core Tennessee whisky expressions and has traditionally been presented in a black-labeled bottle at 80 proof. It represents the standard, accessible end of the brand’s portfolio and uses the Cascade Hollow mash bill, charcoal mellowing, barrel aging, and chill filtration associated with the house style.
Tennessee whisky
Superior No. 12 Brand
Superior No. 12 is a core George Dickel Tennessee whisky traditionally identified by its beige label and 90-proof bottling. It is positioned above Old No. 8 within the standard range and expresses the brand’s emphasis on smoothness, charcoal mellowing, and extended maturation of a corn-led Tennessee whisky.
Barrel-selected Tennessee whisky
Barrel Select Tennessee Whisky
Barrel Select is a more selective George Dickel expression built around the choice of individual mature barrels. It belongs to the brand’s premium tier and highlights the effects of warehouse aging and barrel variation while retaining the Cascade Hollow production identity.
Rye whisky · 2012
George Dickel Rye Whisky
George Dickel Rye is the brand’s rye-focused expression. Unlike the Tennessee whisky made at Cascade Hollow, the rye is produced under contract at MGP Ingredients in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, where it is mashed, distilled, and aged. It is then transported to Diageo’s Plainfield, Illinois facility for charcoal filtration and bottling.
Unaged corn whisky · 2014
No. 1 Foundation Recipe
The No. 1 Foundation Recipe uses an unaged version of George Dickel’s standard mash bill, which contains more than 80 percent corn. Its unaged character distinguishes it from the brand’s mature Tennessee whisky range, and it was introduced as a corn whisky rather than as a conventional aged whisky.
Young Tennessee whisky · 2007
Old-Fashioned Cascade Hollow Batch Recipe
This three-year-old expression was created as a temporary supply response after the distillery’s earlier closure and the resulting shortage of aged stocks. It helped meet demand while older George Dickel whisky matured, but was discontinued in 2013 when inventories had sufficiently recovered.
Limited barrel-aged Tennessee whisky
Hand Selected Barrel
Hand Selected Barrel releases are small-volume, mature George Dickel whiskies selected from individual barrels. Historical descriptions identify examples aged for approximately nine years and associated with members who purchased barrels, making the line more limited than the core Old No. 8 and No. 12 offerings.
Marketing campaigns
- Mellow as Moonlight
United States
The phrase “Mellow as Moonlight” was associated with nineteenth-century Cascade Whisky advertising. It referred to the practice of cooling mash at night and later became part of the heritage narrative surrounding the Cascade Hollow tradition.
Outcome. The slogan helped establish the historical language of smoothness and mellowing that continues to inform the George Dickel brand story.
- Climax Saloon headquarters promotion
Nashville · United States
After acquiring Nashville’s Climax Saloon, Victor Emmanuel Shwab promoted it as the headquarters of Cascade Whisky, linking the brand to a prominent local retail and hospitality venue.
Outcome. The promotion strengthened Cascade’s visibility in Nashville during the late nineteenth century.
Brand decisions
2014
Launch No. 1 Foundation RecipeProduct launchBackground
The brand sought to use its corn-heavy mash bill in a form that did not require extended barrel aging.
Action taken
George Dickel introduced an unaged version of its standard mash bill and marketed it as corn whisky.
Aftermath
The release broadened the brand beyond mature Tennessee whisky, although its later availability is uncertain.
2013
Discontinue Old-Fashioned Cascade Hollow Batch RecipeOtherBackground
The temporary young-whisky release had been created to supplement supplies during an aged-stock shortage.
Action taken
The company discontinued the three-year-old expression once mature inventory had recovered.
Aftermath
The core portfolio returned to greater reliance on traditionally aged George Dickel stocks.
2012
Expand into rye whiskyProduct launchBackground
George Dickel historically focused on Tennessee whisky, while rye offered a way to broaden the portfolio.
Action taken
The brand introduced George Dickel Rye, produced under contract in Indiana and later charcoal filtered and bottled for Diageo.
Aftermath
Rye became a distinct part of the brand’s range, although it remained separate from the Cascade Hollow distillation process.
2007
Introduce a younger whisky to address shortagesProduct launchBackground
The post-closure inventory position contributed to an Old No. 8 shortage as demand exceeded available aged stock.
Action taken
The company introduced the three-year-old Old-Fashioned Cascade Hollow Batch Recipe.
Aftermath
The expression was discontinued in 2013 after older inventories had recovered sufficiently.
1990
Close production to rebalance supplyStrategyBackground
Increased production during the 1990s caused supply to exceed demand and contributed to wastewater concerns at the distillery.
Action taken
The distillery was closed while inventories and operational issues were addressed.
Aftermath
The facility reopened in 2003, but the interruption later contributed to shortages of mature Old No. 8 whisky.
1958
Rebuild the Tennessee distilleryStrategyBackground
After an unsuccessful attempt to acquire Jack Daniel’s, Schenley sought to revive one of its own brands in Tennessee and compete in the Tennessee whisky market.
Action taken
Schenley reconstructed a distillery in Cascade Hollow after legislation again permitted liquor production in Coffee County.
Aftermath
The rebuilt plant produced its first mash in 1959 and supplied the modern George Dickel brand from 1964 onward.
1910
Relocate production after Tennessee prohibitionStrategyBackground
Tennessee prohibition made continued production at Cascade Hollow impossible.
Action taken
The Cascade operation moved production to the Stitzel Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky.
Aftermath
Kentucky prohibition in 1917 and national Prohibition in 1920 eventually halted production altogether.
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