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New Riff Single Barrel vs David Nicholson 1843
New Riff Single Barrel and David Nicholson 1843 sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a new-wave, rye-forward craft style versus a blender-built, wheat-forward bottling.
Key Specifications
| Feature | New Riff Single Barrel | David Nicholson 1843 |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | 5 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) +5 proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$25 – $35 ~$33 less |
- David Nicholson 1843 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
New Riff Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
David Nicholson 1843
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
New Riff Single Barrel David Nicholson 1843
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 9/3 spice: New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10, David Nicholson 1843 3 out of 10
sweetness 4/7 sweetness: New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10, David Nicholson 1843 7 out of 10
oak 6/4 oak: New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10, David Nicholson 1843 4 out of 10
heat 7/5 heat: New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10, David Nicholson 1843 5 out of 10
fruit 5/4 fruit: New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10, David Nicholson 1843 4 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10, David Nicholson 1843 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- 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.
- 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.
Which One Should You Choose?
- 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.
- Go with David Nicholson 1843 if you want a smooth, 100-proof wheater with a long history at a significantly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel); rocks, old-fashioned, cocktails (David Nicholson 1843).