David Nicholson 1843 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
David Nicholson · Lux Row Distillers
David Nicholson 1843 is an exercise in letting good ingredients do the talking. At 100 proof it has enough structure to stand up in cocktails but enough grace to sip neat. A daily-driver bourbon that punches well above its price.
Nose
Opens with soft caramel and a clean corn sweetness that doesn't overreach. Behind it, a measured wave of vanilla and toasted oak arrives without any char-forward aggression. A faint whiff of dried cherry rounds out the bouquet.
Palate
The entry is buttery and composed, with brown spices and butterscotch weaving together at a comfortable proof. Mid-palate introduces light leather and a pleasant nuttiness. There's a warmth here that never turns to heat.
Finish
Medium-length with caramel fading into a gentle charred oak note. Clean and unhurried.
- Mash Bill
- Undisclosed, corn-heavy traditional bourbon mash
- Barrel Type
- New charred American oak
- Bottled in Bond
- No
- Single Barrel
- No
- Wheated
- No
Cocktail Suggestion
The Nicholson Neat Sour — 2 oz David Nicholson 1843 · 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice · 0.5 oz demerara syrup · 1 dash Angostura bitters · Shake with ice, strain into a coupe, garnish with a lemon wheel.
Food Pairing
Smoked pork chops with a brown sugar glaze
Named for a 19th-century St. Louis grocer who sourced his whiskey from what would become the Old Forester recipe, David Nicholson 1843 is now distilled at Lux Row in Bardstown, Kentucky.
Be the first to comment.
Leave a comment
Waterford Tinnashrule Edition 2.1 Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Waterford
Waterford's terroir-driven approach finds full expression in Tinnashrule 2.1. The second edition from this single farm origin reveals how soil, climate, and barley variety converge in the glass. It's cerebral whiskey — the kind that invites comparison and rewards curiosity.
Cascahuin Tahona Reposado
Cascahuín
Cascahuín's Tahona Reposado showcases the difference that stone milling makes. The texture is weightier than roller-milled equivalents, carrying more of the agave's roasted character into the glass. Brief barrel time adds structure without masking the spirit's origin. A tequila that tastes like where it comes from.
Trois Rivières Cuvée du Moulin Rhum Agricole Vieux
Trois Rivières
Trois Rivières' Cuvée du Moulin honors the heritage of the estate's original sugar mill. The aging in French and American oak rounds the agricole funk into something sophisticated, but the grassy, cane-juice DNA remains intact. It's a contemplative sipper that bridges the gap between fresh agricole and more structured aged expressions.
Whitley Neill Protea Gin
Whitley Neill
Whitley Neill's Protea expression leans into the floral end of the gin spectrum without losing its juniper credentials. The South African protea flower inspiration gives it a distinctive identity, and the restrained botanicals make it versatile for mixing or sipping. A gin that rewards those who appreciate fragrance as flavor.
Michter's US*1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Michter's
Michter's US*1 Kentucky Straight delivers the kind of polished warmth that rewards attention without demanding it. The heavy char influence gives it a toasted backbone, but the blend is balanced enough to stay accessible. A benchmark for what well-managed heat can do inside a barrel.
Kentucky Peerless Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey
Peerless
Kentucky Peerless represents what happens when a young distillery takes no shortcuts — sweet mash, no chill filtration, barrel proof. The result is a bourbon that's simultaneously bold and disciplined, with enough negative space between its flavors for each to land clearly.
Woodford Reserve Wheat Whiskey
Woodford Reserve
This is bourbon's quieter cousin — a wheat whiskey that trades punch for poise. It rewards slow sipping and proves that restraint can carry as much complexity as cask strength bravado. An excellent entry point into wheat whiskeys for bourbon drinkers ready to explore.
Bower Hill Barrel Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Bower Hill
An overlooked small-batch sourced bourbon that punches well above its price point — structured, spice-forward, and quietly complex, ideal for drinkers who prize backbone over gloss.