In her role as Director of George Dickel & Luxury American Whiskey, Nicole leads the strategic direction of Diageo North America’s Luxury American Whiskies, with a focus on Cascade Hollow Distilling Co. and its whisky brands. Since joining Diageo in 2018, she’s been instrumental in the latest innovations from George Dickel – including George Dickel Bottled in Bond Distilling Season Fall 2005, Whisky Advocate’s “Whisky of the Year” in 2019.

In March 2020, Nicole was named as Artisan Spirit Magazine’s first ever “Distiller of the Year,” before earning the “Distillery Manager” award from Icons of Whisky Awards in 2021. In addition to four releases (so far!) from the George Dickel Bottled in Bond Whisky Series, Nicole also launched the Cascade Moon Whisky series in late 2020— a line of limited edition whiskies that pays homage to the distillery’s history while setting the tone for the future of the whisky category. In June 2021, Nicole announced the release of Dickel Bourbon – a permanent offering, aged 8 years. In December 2021, Dickel Bourbon was named the #5 WHISKY OF 2021 BY WHISKY ADVOCATE.

In November 2021, Nicole partnered with Todd Leopold of Leopold Bros Distillery to release the George Dickel x Leopold Bros Collaboration Blend – a rare, historically inspired blend of straight rye whiskies. That fall, Nicole also teamed up with Tom Macy of Social Hour Cocktails to release Social Hour Harvest Whiskey Sour made with George Dickel. In 2023, the duo reunited to bring another seasonally-inspired blend to cocktail fans – Social Hour Bourbon Smash made with Dickel Bourbon.

The latest George Dickel releases under Nicole have been the brand’s oldest offerings yet – Dickel Bourbon Aged 18 Years and George Dickel 17 Year Old Reserve, respectively. Inspired by the inaugural release and its dedicated fans, Nicole intentionally searched for barrels that captured the notable components of the original 17 Year Reserve liquid, debuting the newest edition of George Dickel Reserve – a cask strength offering aged 17 years which boasts the signature big and bold flavors of Cascade Hollow.

After making a name for George Dickel in the Bourbon category with Dickel Bourbon’s release in 2021, Nicole paid homage to the inaugural variant with the new Dickel Bourbon Aged 18 Years – released in fall 2023 – a highly limited, small-batch bourbon that has been aged in charred oak barrels and blended to perfection. The debut of Dickel Bourbon Aged 18 Years followed on the heels of George Dickel being awarded Wine Enthusiast's Wine Star Awards 2023 Spirit Brand of the Year. Nicole graduated from Manhattan College with a major in Chemical Engineering in 2006 before landing her position as a Master Blender for Kings County Distillery in 2010. She then joined The Oak View Spirits consulting firm, where she handled everything from raw material sourcing to contract negotiations. Nicole also served as a Project Commissioning Engineer for William Grant & Sons at the Tullamore Distillery in Ireland. She’s been a fierce advocate for the distilling industry as a founding board member of the American Craft Spirits Association and co-chair of Legislative, Convention and State Guild Committees.