The neon of Broadway feels far away in Cascade Hollow, a wooded valley near Normandy, just north of Tullahoma, where George Dickel Distillery makes its whisky. Even though the hollow is an easy day out from Nashville, it shows you a very different side of Tennessee.

At Whiskey Trail Tours, we host our George Dickel Distillery Tours for groups who want that change of scene, with a private chauffeur who picks you up in town and brings everyone back from a tasting that makes the miles worth it.

Whisky Spelled the Scottish Way

You will notice the spelling first. Most of Tennessee’s other whiskey makers, including several we visit, write “whiskey,” but Dickel spells it “whisky,” as the Scots do. The brand’s namesake, George Dickel, was a Nashville merchant who believed whisky made in winter tasted smoother, so the distillers chill the new spirit to around 40 degrees before it filters slowly through the charcoal vats. Every few months, the distillers burn a fresh batch of charcoal right in the hollow.

The Cascade Hollow distillery opened in 1878, shut down during Prohibition, and came back to life in 1958, making whisky again a year later. Today it belongs to both the Tennessee and American whiskey trails, and it offers a great introduction to the state’s whisky if you are only visiting one distillery.

Step by Step Through the Distillery

Here is how your hour in the hollow runs:

Your guide gathers the group in the general store, then leads everyone across Cascade Hollow Road and a small bridge over the creek.
Past the distillery doors, you follow the whisky from the mash cooker to the fermenters and stills, and then to the chilled charcoal vats that set Dickel apart. Near the stills, you can expect real heat in summer and some strong smells.
About a quarter of the tour happens outdoors, including a walk past the single-story warehouses where the barrels age, and you may want a layer if the weather turns. Photos are fine outdoors and in most visitor areas, with limits near active equipment.
Last comes a guided tasting of several George Dickel whiskies, and you get to compare them side by side.

Visitors can only step inside on a tour, and we remain nearby throughout the hour, ready when the tasting ends. If a storm delays your tour, we simply wait it out with you. Any bottles you buy go home with you in our vehicle, since the distillery cannot legally ship the whisky it sells.

How Far Is George Dickel from Nashville?

If Tennessee is new to you, two questions probably come to mind right away: can we find this place, and will we make our tour time? Both make sense, because the hollow lies far from any main road.

From downtown Nashville, the trip takes a little over an hour, and Interstate 24 East covers most of it. After exit 105, the route follows county roads such as Blanton Chapel Road and Riley Creek Road, past limestone hills and thick hardwood forest, until the hollow opens up beside Normandy Lake. We follow the distillery’s directions for the final stretch and leave Nashville with a generous margin, so a slow patch of traffic doesn’t cost you your reservation.

For groups large enough to need a big coach, we call the distillery ahead of time, since vehicles with three or more axles need an alternative route, which we arrange days before the visit. It pays to reserve tour spots early, especially for a group, and we will gladly suggest a time that suits the drive length. Anyone tasting needs ID showing they are 21 or over. The distillery also sells designated driver and minor tickets, so younger guests can join the tour without the pours.

Pick Your Day, Then Your Vehicle

Each day at the distillery feels a little different, and we pick from our fleet with your date in mind:

On Sundays, the doors open later, a good match for a couple who would rather sleep in, and we welcome them into our Sedan heading southeast.
Weekdays are the best time for a work group to see distillation up close, because the stills run during the week. The distillery closes on Wednesdays, so Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday are the options. We fit up to 50 people aboard our Mini Bus, so the whole department can tour together.
Fridays and Saturdays can bring upgraded tastings, such as a Bottled in Bond flight of four whiskies on Fridays and a Saturday single barrel experience that sends each guest home with a bottle. For a whisky club chasing one of those, we recommend our Sprinter Limo, which seats up to 12 and still has room for every bottle.

Since Lynchburg lies under 30 minutes away, any of these days can include a second distillery, and we can decide the best order with you.

A Taste of Cascade Hollow: Our George Dickel Distillery Tour

Once you have tasted whisky chilled the Dickel way, you may start dropping the “e” too. Share which day appeals and how big your party is, and we will send back ideas and a price for our George Dickel Distillery Tour.

The quickest way to reach us is (615) 942-1033. For longer questions, emailing us at info@whiskeytrailtours.com or asking for an online quote works just as well. Past guests have shared how their days out with us went on Google reviews, so feel free to read a few first.