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David Nicholson 1843 vs New Riff Single Barrel
David Nicholson 1843 and New Riff Single Barrel sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a sourced, wheat-forward blend versus a new-wave, rye-forward craft style.
Key Specifications
| Feature | David Nicholson 1843 | New Riff Single Barrel |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 5 years |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) +5 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$25 – $35 ~$33 less | ~$55 – $70 |
- David Nicholson 1843 does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
David Nicholson 1843
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
New Riff Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
David Nicholson 1843 New Riff Single Barrel
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 3/9 spice: David Nicholson 1843 3 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10
sweetness 7/4 sweetness: David Nicholson 1843 7 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10
oak 4/6 oak: David Nicholson 1843 4 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10
heat 5/7 heat: David Nicholson 1843 5 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10
fruit 4/5 fruit: David Nicholson 1843 4 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: David Nicholson 1843 3 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- David Nicholson 1843: A long-running wheated label at 100 proof. Smooth vanilla and caramel with a soft, bready body and a touch more spice than you would expect from a wheater.
- New Riff Single Barrel: The single-barrel expression of New Riff's 30% rye mash, non-chill-filtered and at higher proof than the bonded version. As dry and peppery as bourbon gets before it stops being bourbon.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with David Nicholson 1843 if you want a smooth, 100-proof wheater with a long history at a significantly lower price point.
- Go with New Riff Single Barrel if you want the most aggressively spice-driven bourbon in this list, with single-barrel variation on top with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
Best enjoyed rocks, old-fashioned, cocktails (David Nicholson 1843); neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel).