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David Nicholson 1843 vs Uncle Nearest 1856
David Nicholson 1843 and Uncle Nearest 1856 sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a blender-built, wheat-forward bottling versus a sourced, classically built blend.
Key Specifications
| Feature | David Nicholson 1843 | Uncle Nearest 1856 |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | Traditional Tennessee Whiskey |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$25 – $35 ~$33 less | ~$55 – $70 |
- David Nicholson 1843 and Uncle Nearest 1856 do not publish an official mash bill.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.
Uncle Nearest 1856
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
David Nicholson 1843 Uncle Nearest 1856
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 4/7 oak: David Nicholson 1843 4 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10
spice 3/5 spice: David Nicholson 1843 3 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10
fruit 4/5 fruit: David Nicholson 1843 4 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/4 nuttiness: David Nicholson 1843 3 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 4 out of 10
sweetness 7/7 sweetness: David Nicholson 1843 7 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10
heat 5/5 heat: David Nicholson 1843 5 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- 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.
- Uncle Nearest 1856: Named for Nathan 'Nearest' Green, the enslaved distiller who taught Jack Daniel, and now backed by the brand's own distillery in Shelbyville. Sweet and maple-leaning with the charcoal-mellowed softness of the style.
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 Uncle Nearest 1856 if you want a sweet, maple-forward Tennessee whiskey with a story worth knowing behind it.
Best enjoyed rocks, old-fashioned, cocktails (David Nicholson 1843); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Uncle Nearest 1856).