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Uncle Nearest 1856 vs David Nicholson 1843
Uncle Nearest 1856 and David Nicholson 1843 sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a blender-built, classically built bottling versus a sourced, wheat-forward blend.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Uncle Nearest 1856 | David Nicholson 1843 |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Tennessee Whiskey | Wheated Bourbon |
| 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 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$25 – $35 ~$33 less |
- Uncle Nearest 1856 and David Nicholson 1843 do not publish an official mash bill.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
Uncle Nearest 1856
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
David Nicholson 1843
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Uncle Nearest 1856 David Nicholson 1843
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 7/4 oak: Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10, David Nicholson 1843 4 out of 10
spice 5/3 spice: Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10, David Nicholson 1843 3 out of 10
fruit 5/4 fruit: Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10, David Nicholson 1843 4 out of 10
nuttiness 4/3 nuttiness: Uncle Nearest 1856 4 out of 10, David Nicholson 1843 3 out of 10
sweetness 7/7 sweetness: Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10, David Nicholson 1843 7 out of 10
heat 5/5 heat: Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10, David Nicholson 1843 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- 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.
- 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 Uncle Nearest 1856 if you want a sweet, maple-forward Tennessee whiskey with a story worth knowing behind it.
- 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, rocks, old-fashioned (Uncle Nearest 1856); rocks, old-fashioned, cocktails (David Nicholson 1843).