GEORGE DICKEL NO. 8 SCARCE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Diageo’s George Dickel Whisky No. 8 is scarce this year after the Dickel distillery shut down production from 1999 to 2003 as a way to reduce inventory. Its other brands, Superior No. 12, Barrel Select and Cascade Hollow Batch, are still available.

"It's a temporary setback," said Gary Galanis, a vp for Diageo, to the Associated Press. "No. 8 will be back in early 2008."

The shortage follows a glut of Dickel during the 1990s. A previous marketing plan ramped up production during a failed attempt to replace Jack Daniel’s as the top Tennessee whiskey.