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Maker's Mark vs David Nicholson Reserve
Maker's Mark and David Nicholson Reserve sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, wheat-forward classic versus a sourced, classically built blend.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Maker's Mark | David Nicholson Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +10 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$25 – $32 ~$7 less | ~$30 – $40 |
- David Nicholson Reserve does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Maker's Mark
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
David Nicholson Reserve
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Maker's Mark David Nicholson Reserve
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 2/6 spice: Maker's Mark 2 out of 10, David Nicholson Reserve 6 out of 10
sweetness 8/5 sweetness: Maker's Mark 8 out of 10, David Nicholson Reserve 5 out of 10
oak 4/6 oak: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, David Nicholson Reserve 6 out of 10
heat 3/5 heat: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, David Nicholson Reserve 5 out of 10
fruit 4/3 fruit: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, David Nicholson Reserve 3 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, David Nicholson Reserve 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- Maker's Mark: The bottle that made wheated bourbon mainstream. Soft, sweet, and deliberately low on spice and oak, with baked bread and honey doing most of the work. Consistency is its real feature.
- David Nicholson Reserve: The rye-recipe sibling to the 1843, with extra age. Toasty oak and rye spice give it more backbone, and the spice stays put through a long, warm finish.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Maker's Mark if you want a reliably sweet, low-spice wheater that is easy to find and easy to drink at a slightly lower price point.
- Go with David Nicholson Reserve if you want a toasty, spicy, 100-proof value bourbon that stands up in cocktails.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark); old-fashioned, cocktails, rocks (David Nicholson Reserve).