A new expression under the David Nicholson banner, David Nicholson Reserve carries a traditional corn-rye-barley mash bill compared to the standard wheated David Nicholson 1843.  Luxco has owned the brand since 2000.  This new variant hit shelves this past summer for a suggest price of $34.99 – $39.99.  I’m not too familiar with the David Nicholson brand.  Writer Chuck Cowdery has a great article giving a bit of brand history.

There’s a sweet and spicy nose here, dominated by brown sugar, cinnamon, and buttered corn with undertones of toasted rye bread and black cherry.  Taste-wise, sweet brown sugar, sharp rye grain and sugared orange peel are followed by spicy cinnamon bark.  Then, maraschino cherries emerge mid-palate.  Some oak tannins and barrel char finish things off, alongside a medium-length semi-sweet finish.

Why one David Nicholson expression carries a wheated mashbill and the other a rye-based mashbill is beyond me.  It would be like if WL Weller Special Reserve being a wheater and their 12-year being a rye-based bourbon (that’s not the case).  It makes no sense.  And before you ask – yes, Luxco has sourced this whiskey.  It’s a pretty open secret, and at this point doesn’t really matter.  Regardless, I like what’s going on here, especially for the price. It’s a great sipping bourbon with some complexity and just enough flavor and depth to keep you coming back. In other words, I could drink this all day.

8/10

Thanks to Luxco for the sample.  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.