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.
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