George Dickel x Leopold Bros Rye: Why a Three-Chamber Still Matters

Behind the Pour

Two of American whiskey's most decorated practitioners — Nicole Austin at George Dickel and Todd Leopold at Leopold Brothers — produced a collaboration built around a production technique that had largely disappeared from American whiskey: the three-chamber pot still. The result is a rye whiskey that promises on the label what most labels can only suggest: something genuinely different. Crystal and Roger have been watching this one since it came out, and they found it on sale at their whiskey shop. A collaboration between a James Beard Award nominee distiller and the woman who made the George Dickel Bottled in Bond a critical favorite is the kind of bottle you don't let sit.

What You'll Discover

• The three-chamber still and what it resurrects: Todd Leopold revived a pre-Prohibition distillation method that most modern American distilleries abandoned for efficiency reasons. The three-chamber still produces a spirit with more texture and complexity than a standard pot or column still.
• Todd Leopold's background: Over his 25-year career, Leopold has revived multiple pre-Prohibition spirits styles using heritage grains and old-world techniques. He was a 2020 James Beard Award nominee — one of the only distillers ever recognized by the culinary world at that level.
• Nicole Austin's track record: As General Manager at George Dickel, Austin produced the Bottled in Bond expression that Crystal and Roger consider one of their favorites. She also co-founded two craft spirits trade organizations and built a career on sensory precision and innovation.
• Leopold Brothers' beer-and-brewing heritage: Todd Leopold's background includes brewing, which shows in how he approaches fermentation and grain selection. Roger notices the maltiness in the nose before learning this fact, then the connection makes immediate sense.
• A floral, chocolate rye: The label promises floral and chocolate notes — unusual descriptors for American rye whiskey. The transcript confirms they arrive on the nose.

A Moment of Pourspective

A lost technique only stays lost until someone decides the labor of reviving it is worth the result. Seek the bottles built by people who asked that question.

Explore the Conversation

The George Dickel x Leopold Brothers collaboration is a case study in what happens when two producers who respect craft over efficiency decide to work together on a technique that is genuinely difficult and genuinely different. The three-chamber still produces a spirit in smaller volumes and with more hands-on intervention than modern production allows for at scale — which is exactly the point. Crystal and Roger both notice the maltiness immediately on the nose — Roger gets it before Crystal reads the label detail about Leopold Brothers' brewing background, which is a real demonstration of how production method translates directly into what a glass tells you. Green apple follows. These are not the standard rye notes. The combination of Nicole Austin's palate — she built a reputation at Dickel for making honest, high-quality whiskey without the marketing machinery that surrounds allocated bourbon — and Todd Leopold's historical knowledge creates something that earns its place on a shelf built for bottles with a story. Crystal and Roger found this one on sale, which they take as fortune smiling.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is a three-chamber still? A three-chamber still is a pre-Prohibition American distillation apparatus that processes grain in stages across multiple chambers, producing a spirit with more texture and complex flavor than a column still. Todd Leopold revived the technique at Leopold Brothers.
• Who is Nicole Austin? Nicole Austin is the General Manager and Master Distiller at George Dickel. She previously co-founded craft spirits trade organizations and has been recognized for exceptional whiskey releases including the George Dickel Bottled in Bond.
• Who is Todd Leopold? Todd Leopold is the co-founder of Leopold Brothers in Denver, Colorado. He is a 2020 James Beard Award nominee and one of the country's most respected revivalists of pre-Prohibition spirits production techniques.
• Does the chocolate note actually come through? The label's floral and chocolate description is accurate based on the nose in this episode. Leopold Brothers' brewing background and the three-chamber still both contribute to a more complex aromatics than most rye whiskey produces.

Episode at a Glance

• Spirit reviewed: George Dickel x Leopold Brothers Three-Chamber Rye
• Hosts: Crystal and Roger
• Runtime: approximately 22 minutes
• Category: Whiskey
• Collaboration: Nicole Austin (George Dickel) and Todd Leopold (Leopold Brothers)