Lost Lantern Teams Up With a Tennessee Legend
Most whiskey drinkers know George Dickel by its label. Fewer know how much else the Tennessee distillery has been making behind the scenes. That is about to change. Vermont independent bottler Lost Lantern announced on September 29, 2026, that its Fall 2026 release is built entirely around George Dickel. It is the company's first collection from a single distillery. It is also the first time Lost Lantern has partnered with a large distillery that has generations of history behind it.
The news comes shortly after Lost Lantern put out the United States of Bourbon, the first bourbon blend made with whiskey from all 50 states. This new project is a very different kind of milestone. Instead of pulling from every corner of the country, the company went deep on one place in Tullahoma, Tennessee.
Who Is Lost Lantern?
Lost Lantern is an independent bottler based in Vergennes, Vermont. Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski founded it. Independent bottlers don't distill whiskey themselves. They hunt down interesting barrels from distilleries around the country and release them as single casks or blends.
The company has picked up plenty of recognition. It was named Independent Bottler of the Year at the 2026 Icons of Whisky America Awards and at the 2023 Global Icons of Whisky Awards. Food & Wine Magazine named both founders Drinks Visionaries of the Year. SevenFifty Daily called them Drinks Innovators of the Year. They have also landed on the VermontBiz Rising Stars list and Beverage Information Group's 40 Under 40.
A Distillery With Deep Roots
George Dickel is made by Cascade Hollow Distilling Co. in Tullahoma, Tennessee. It is one of roughly a dozen American distilleries with generations of whiskey-making history. The distillery traces its start to the late 1870s and was rebuilt in the 1950s. Today it sits in the Tennessee hills, surrounded by 600 protected acres of forest and fresh springs.
The distillery is now led by Nicole Austin, who is the distiller and also serves as Diageo's Director of American Whiskey Liquid Development. Under her, the distillery has reached new heights, according to the announcement.
Why This Team-Up Is Different
Lost Lantern says it has always been open to working with a big, well-known distillery, but only on its own terms. Polonski, the company's Head of Whiskey Sourcing, laid out those terms.
Image credit: Lost Lantern
"Our mission has always been to shine a light on wonderful whiskies from all across the country," said Polonski, Head of Whiskey Sourcing for Lost Lantern. "From the beginning, we've always said we'd be open to working with a large, well-known heritage distillery, as long as we had something to add to the conversation about that distillery and could work with them the same way we work with small distilleries: working directly with their team, tasting every barrel before we select it, and being fully transparent about the source right on the label. We had that opportunity with George Dickel."
That last part matters to a lot of whiskey fans. Every bottle in the collection is cask strength, non-chill-filtered, and has no color added. The label says exactly where the whiskey came from.
Finding the Barrels Nobody Talked About
Ganley-Roper and Polonski worked closely with Austin to choose the whiskies. Their goal was to show off the depth of whiskey made in Tennessee. They also wanted to show a side of George Dickel that most people never see. That means styles the distillery has made for years but rarely, if ever, released.
Ganley-Roper, the General Manager and Head Blender, said the discovery came as a surprise even to her team. "These are whiskies that we didn't even know George Dickel made until we visited and started working with Nicole," said Ganley-Roper, General Manager and Head Blender. "Our George Dickel Collection is the ultimate whiskey nerd's take on one of the giants of American whiskey."
The range is wide. It covers 18-year-old Tennessee whiskey, wheat whiskey, light whiskey, bourbon that skipped charcoal filtration, and Tennessee-distilled rye. Some of these are whiskies that very few people have ever had the chance to taste.
The Three Big Releases
The collection has two parts. The first is three bottlings in Lost Lantern's Single Distillery Series. These will be sold in all of the company's standard markets. The second is a group of single casks covering seven different styles.
Fabled Forest: George Dickel Tennessee Whiskey
Fabled Forest is a fresh look at George Dickel's flagship style, and it is rarely released at cask strength. It is a blend of seven casks of Tennessee whiskey. All of them were charcoal-mellowed using the Lincoln County process, and they were aged between 11 and 18 years. About a quarter of the blend is 18 years old.
The result is described as rich and complex, yet mellow and balanced. Tasting notes include powerful oak, black cherry, stone fruit, and rounded baking spice. Lost Lantern says this one was blended with the bourbon nerd in mind.
It comes in at 93.2 proof, with 815 bottles available, and it is priced at $99.99.
Wild Woodland: George Dickel Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey
Wild Woodland is a marriage of five casks aged seven years. It is the first time George Dickel's Tennessee-distilled rye has been offered as its own release. The whiskey is bold, deep, and powerful, and it reflects the hot, humid climate of Middle Tennessee. Expect mint, dark chocolate, oak, and plenty of rye spice.
It is bottled at 118.3 proof. Only 664 bottles are available, at $79.99 each.
Golden Grove: George Dickel Tennessee Straight Wheat Whiskey
Golden Grove brings together six casks of George Dickel's wheat whiskey, which has never been released before. It is made from 100 percent wheat and aged between four and eight years. Lost Lantern says it shows that the historic distillery keeps experimenting beyond the whiskies that made its name.
It is described as reminiscent of a wheated bourbon. The notes include nutmeg, chocolate banana bread, strawberries, and warm oak, with a remarkable softness on the palate.
This one is 120.0 proof, with 677 bottles available, priced at $79.99.
The Single Casks for the Serious Collector
Beyond the three main bottlings, the collection includes single casks. These are so limited that many will be sold only through individual retailers. Lost Lantern's website has full details on each one and where to find it.
Tennessee Whiskey, 11 Years Old
Two casks of this whiskey are available at $79.99 each. It gives drinkers a rare chance to taste George Dickel's signature style straight from a single barrel at cask strength. The mash bill is 84 percent corn, 8 percent rye, and 8 percent malt. It was charcoal-mellowed with the Lincoln County process and aged 11 years in a new oak barrel.
The whiskey is warm and bright, with balanced fruit and spice. It is also older than anything Lost Lantern has ever released, except for other whiskies in this same collection.
Tennessee Whiskey, 18 Years Old
These are the oldest whiskies Lost Lantern has ever put out, and they carry a price to match at $249.99. The mash bill is the same 84 percent corn, 8 percent rye, and 8 percent malt. The whiskey was charcoal-mellowed and aged 18 years in a new oak barrel.
Tennessee's humid aging conditions brought the cask strength down to just over 80 proof. Even so, the whiskey keeps its depth and intensity. Tasting notes point to leather, roasted fruit, and hefty oak. It shows what a truly long-aged Tennessee whiskey can be.
Straight Bourbon, 10 Years Old, Not Charcoal Mellowed
This one is a curiosity. Charcoal mellowing is the step that defines Tennessee whiskey. This bourbon skipped it. The mash bill is 75 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and 4 percent malt, and it was aged for 10 years.
That makes it a handy side-by-side comparison with George Dickel's Tennessee whiskey. It is bold and bright, with rich oak and baking spice. Two single casks are available at $99.99.
Tennessee Whiskey, 10 Years Old, Groovy Staves
This is an experiment in how barrel construction changes flavor. The whiskey is charcoal-mellowed Tennessee whiskey that spent 10 years in a cask made with grooved staves. The grooves add surface area and put more whiskey in contact with the wood.
The nose is robust and spicy with oak. On the palate come dark fruit, leather, and clove. It is deep and powerful. Only one cask exists, priced at $119.99.
Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey, 7 Years Old
Before this, George Dickel's Tennessee-distilled rye had only been released as part of a collaboration with Colorado-based Leopold Bros. This is its first standalone release. The mash bill is 84 percent rye, 8 percent corn, and 8 percent malt. It was aged seven years in a new oak barrel.
Lost Lantern calls it a bold, hot-climate Southern rye shaped by Tennessee's heat. Look for full oak, rich mint, chocolate, and rye spice. Four single casks are available at $89.99.
Tennessee Straight Wheat Whiskey, 7 Years Old
This previously unreleased style is made from 100 percent wheat and aged seven years in a new oak barrel. Lost Lantern is using it to make the case that wheat whiskey could be the next discovery for people who love wheated bourbon.
The notes include deep baking spice, tropical fruit, and warm oak, along with delicate floral touches and a remarkable softness on the palate. Two single casks are available at $89.99.
Tennessee Light Whiskey, 8 Years Old
This is Lost Lantern's first light whiskey, and it is also a style George Dickel has never released before. The mash bill is 84 percent corn, 8 percent rye, and 8 percent malt. Unlike the others, it was aged in a used oak barrel, for eight years.
Light whiskey is an overlooked category. This one is delicate and nuanced, with a lighter body and mouthfeel than bourbon, yet it still offers plenty of complexity. Two single casks are available at $79.99.
When and Where to Buy
The George Dickel Collection goes on sale Wednesday, October 21st. Buyers can order through LostLanternWhiskey.com or Seelbachs.com. It will also be at select retailers in California, New York, Massachusetts, and Illinois, and at the Lost Lantern Tasting Room in Vergennes, Vermont.
Since the bottle counts are small, with the largest run at 815 bottles, shoppers who want a particular whiskey should plan to move early. The single casks will go even faster, and many will only show up at individual retailers.
What This Collection Says About American Whiskey
Whiskey lovers tend to think they know the big names. George Dickel is one of the most familiar labels in Tennessee whiskey. Yet this collection shows that a distillery can hold surprises even after well over a century of work. Wheat whiskey, light whiskey, uncharcoaled bourbon, and a standalone rye were all sitting in the warehouse, waiting for someone to ask about them.
With this release, Lost Lantern brings its mission of shining a light on undiscovered American whiskey to a familiar name. The company's own conclusion is that there is still a lot left to explore at George Dickel.
