George Dickel
Encyclopedia
George Dickel is the name of a brand of Tennessee whisky distilled and aged in Cascade Hollow, Tennessee
, near Tullahoma and bottled in Stamford, Connecticut
and Canada
. The brand is now owned by Diageo PLC
. Four whiskies are produced at the George Dickel Distillery: George Dickel Cascade Hollow, Old No. 8 Brand, Superior No. 12 Brand, and Barrel Select Tennessee whiskies. The Old No. 8 Brand, with the black label, is an 80 proof whisky and sells for an average price of US$
17 for a 750ml bottle; Superior No. 12 Brand, with the ivory
label, is 90 proof, and sells for an average price of US$19 for 750ml. The Barrel Select is 86 proof, and prices vary dramatically depending on market.
George Dickel's Tennessee Whisky uses the traditional Scottish
spelling of whisky (as opposed to whiskey). Reportedly, this is because Dickel believed his product to be as smooth and high in quality as the best Scotch whiskies
. The distillery is part of the American Whiskey Trail
and offers tours to the public.
, in the 1850s. Cascade Tennessee Whisky was first produced in 1870. The Cascade Hollow distillery was founded in 1877 by John F. Brown and F. E. Cunningham. George Dickel bought a controlling interest in the distillery in 1884. He also bought the exclusive rights to bottle and sell the whisky. Dickel withdrew from daily operations of the distillery in 1888 and died in 1894.
After Dickel's death, his share in the company was willed to his wife Augusta, along with the advice to sell out. Augusta opted instead to retain her share of the company until the time of her death in 1916, when George's brother-in-law and long-time business partner V. E. Shwab took over full control of the distillery. Tennessee prohibition
forced distilling operations to move to Kentucky
in 1910. National Prohibition forced them to shut down altogether.
In 1933, national prohibition was repealed. Shwab had died in 1924, and in 1937 his family sold the Cascade trademark to the Schenley Distilling Company
. In the 1940s
and 1950s
, Schenley's product, produced at the OFC Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky
, was marketed as Geo. A. Dickel's Cascade Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky.
In 1931, Schenley attempted to buy the Jack Daniel's
brand. After its offer was refused, Schenley decided instead to return one of their own brands to its roots and compete against Daniel's. In 1958, after passage of enabling legislation and a referendum
, Schenley's Ralph Dupps reconstructed the Cascade Hollow distillery and the original recipe, and George Dickel Tennessee Whisky was first bottled in 1964. Schenley opted to use George Dickel's name as the trademark because of the Cascade brand's reputation for value. Schenley shut down the Tennessee bottling operation in the 1980s
, and the whisky has since been hauled in tanker trucks for bottling elsewhere. Various mergers and buyouts have resulted in Diageo PLC
owning the Dickel brand.
Increased production of George Dickel in the 1990s
caused supply to exceed demand. In response, the distillery closed to allow the whisky's value to rebound. It reopened in 2003, almost too late to prevent a shortage of Old No. 8 in the market by 2007. Diageo floated a younger, three-year-old expression branded Old-Fashioned Cascade Hollow Batch Recipe to meet demand. The Cascade Distillery currently operates under the supervision of Master Distiller John Lunn.
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, near Tullahoma and bottled in Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The brand is now owned by Diageo PLC
Diageo
Diageo plc is a global alcoholic beverages company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of spirits and a major producer of beer and wine....
. Four whiskies are produced at the George Dickel Distillery: George Dickel Cascade Hollow, Old No. 8 Brand, Superior No. 12 Brand, and Barrel Select Tennessee whiskies. The Old No. 8 Brand, with the black label, is an 80 proof whisky and sells for an average price of US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
17 for a 750ml bottle; Superior No. 12 Brand, with the ivory
Ivory (color)
Ivory is an off-white color that resembles ivory, the material out of which the teeth and tusks of animals is made. It has a very slight tint of yellow....
label, is 90 proof, and sells for an average price of US$19 for 750ml. The Barrel Select is 86 proof, and prices vary dramatically depending on market.
George Dickel's Tennessee Whisky uses the traditional Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
spelling of whisky (as opposed to whiskey). Reportedly, this is because Dickel believed his product to be as smooth and high in quality as the best Scotch whiskies
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
. The distillery is part of the American Whiskey Trail
American Whiskey Trail
The American Whiskey Trail is an initiative of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States that promotes the history and cultural heritage of distilled beverages in the United States.-History of whiskey in the United States:...
and offers tours to the public.
History
George Dickel was born in 1818. He founded a retail business in Nashville, TennesseeNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, in the 1850s. Cascade Tennessee Whisky was first produced in 1870. The Cascade Hollow distillery was founded in 1877 by John F. Brown and F. E. Cunningham. George Dickel bought a controlling interest in the distillery in 1884. He also bought the exclusive rights to bottle and sell the whisky. Dickel withdrew from daily operations of the distillery in 1888 and died in 1894.
After Dickel's death, his share in the company was willed to his wife Augusta, along with the advice to sell out. Augusta opted instead to retain her share of the company until the time of her death in 1916, when George's brother-in-law and long-time business partner V. E. Shwab took over full control of the distillery. Tennessee prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
forced distilling operations to move to Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
in 1910. National Prohibition forced them to shut down altogether.
In 1933, national prohibition was repealed. Shwab had died in 1924, and in 1937 his family sold the Cascade trademark to the Schenley Distilling Company
Schenley Industries
Schenley was a liquor company based out of New York, N.Y. with headquarters in the Empire State Building and a distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. It owned several brands of Bourbon whiskey, including Schenley, The Old Quaker Company, Carstairs' White Seal, and possibly others; they also owned a...
. In the 1940s
1940s
File:1940s decade montage.png|Above title bar: events which happened during World War II : From left to right: Troops in an LCVP landing craft approaching "Omaha" Beach on "D-Day"; Adolf Hitler visits Paris, soon after the Battle of France; The Holocaust occurred during the war as Nazi Germany...
and 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
, Schenley's product, produced at the OFC Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort is a city in Kentucky that serves as the state capital and the county seat of Franklin County. The population was 27,741 at the 2000 census; by population it is the 5th smallest state capital in the United States...
, was marketed as Geo. A. Dickel's Cascade Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky.
Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's is a brand of sour mash Tennessee whiskey that is among the world's best-selling liquors. It is known for its square bottles and black label. As of November, 2007, one blogger was claiming that it was the best-selling whiskey in the world. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee by...
brand. After its offer was refused, Schenley decided instead to return one of their own brands to its roots and compete against Daniel's. In 1958, after passage of enabling legislation and a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
, Schenley's Ralph Dupps reconstructed the Cascade Hollow distillery and the original recipe, and George Dickel Tennessee Whisky was first bottled in 1964. Schenley opted to use George Dickel's name as the trademark because of the Cascade brand's reputation for value. Schenley shut down the Tennessee bottling operation in the 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
, and the whisky has since been hauled in tanker trucks for bottling elsewhere. Various mergers and buyouts have resulted in Diageo PLC
Diageo
Diageo plc is a global alcoholic beverages company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of spirits and a major producer of beer and wine....
owning the Dickel brand.
Increased production of George Dickel in the 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
caused supply to exceed demand. In response, the distillery closed to allow the whisky's value to rebound. It reopened in 2003, almost too late to prevent a shortage of Old No. 8 in the market by 2007. Diageo floated a younger, three-year-old expression branded Old-Fashioned Cascade Hollow Batch Recipe to meet demand. The Cascade Distillery currently operates under the supervision of Master Distiller John Lunn.