David Nicholson Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
David Nicholson · Lux Row Distillers
David Nicholson Reserve punches well above its modest price, offering layered complexity that rewards patient sipping. The 100-proof backbone gives it cocktail versatility without sacrificing neat-pour nuance. A workhorse bourbon that deserves more shelf attention.
Nose
Opens with a rush of caramel corn and toasted oak, followed by ripe cherry and a dusting of brown baking spices. A faint butterscotch sweetness lingers beneath vanilla and soft leather.
Palate
Medium-bodied with immediate caramel and charred oak up front. Mid-palate delivers cherry and a pleasant rye spice kick, balanced by a buttery wheat softness. The proof carries the flavors without burning.
Finish
Medium-long with lingering charred oak and a fade of vanilla and dried cherry. A subtle tobacco note emerges at the tail end.
- Mash Bill
- Approximately 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley
- Barrel Type
- New charred American oak
- Bottled in Bond
- No
- Single Barrel
- No
- Wheated
- No
Cocktail Suggestion
The Cooper's Old Fashioned — 2 oz David Nicholson Reserve · 0.25 oz demerara syrup · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · 1 dash orange bitters · Stir over a large ice cube, garnish with an expressed orange peel.
Food Pairing
Smoked pork belly with a brown sugar glaze
Originally a pre-Prohibition recipe sold through a St. Louis grocery, David Nicholson Reserve was revived by Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, where it is distilled and aged in hand-selected rickhouse locations.
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