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New Riff Bottled-in-Bond vs David Nicholson Reserve

Put New Riff Bottled-in-Bond next to David Nicholson Reserve and you have a contemporary, high-rye craft build set against a sourced, corn-forward blend.

Key Specifications

Feature New Riff Bottled-in-Bond David Nicholson Reserve
Type / Style High-Rye Bourbon Traditional Bourbon
Mash Bill 1 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley Not disclosed
Age 4 years No age statement
Proof 100 proof (50% ABV) 100 proof (50% ABV)
Approx. Price 2 ~$38 – $45 ~$30 – $40 ~$7 less
  1. David Nicholson Reserve does not publish an official mash bill.
  2. US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.

AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes

New Riff Bottled-in-Bond

Not rated yet

No notes yet.

David Nicholson Reserve

Not rated yet

No notes yet.

Flavor Profile

New Riff Bottled-in-Bond David Nicholson Reserve
sweetnessspiceoakfruitheatnuttiness

Axis by axis, biggest gap first

spice 9/6 spice: New Riff Bottled-in-Bond 9 out of 10, David Nicholson Reserve 6 out of 10
fruit 5/3 fruit: New Riff Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, David Nicholson Reserve 3 out of 10
sweetness 4/5 sweetness: New Riff Bottled-in-Bond 4 out of 10, David Nicholson Reserve 5 out of 10
oak 5/6 oak: New Riff Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, David Nicholson Reserve 6 out of 10
heat 6/5 heat: New Riff Bottled-in-Bond 6 out of 10, David Nicholson Reserve 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: New Riff Bottled-in-Bond 3 out of 10, David Nicholson Reserve 3 out of 10

Flavor Profile Differences

Rye spice is the dividing line here.

  • New Riff Bottled-in-Bond: At 30% rye this is about as spice-forward as bourbon gets before becoming rye whiskey. Peppery and herbal with mint and dill, non-chill-filtered for texture, and noticeably dry rather than sweet.
  • 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 New Riff Bottled-in-Bond if you want aggressive rye spice and a dry, herbal profile from a modern craft distillery with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
  • Go with David Nicholson Reserve if you want a toasty, spicy, 100-proof value bourbon that stands up in cocktails.

Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned, cocktails (New Riff Bottled-in-Bond); old-fashioned, cocktails, rocks (David Nicholson Reserve).