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W.L. Weller 12 Year vs David Nicholson 1843
Comparing W.L. Weller 12 Year and David Nicholson 1843 is a closer contest than it looks — both are wheated bourbons, separated mainly by price (~$70 – $180 vs. ~$25 – $35).
Key Specifications
| Feature | W.L. Weller 12 Year | David Nicholson 1843 |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Age | 12 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +10 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$70 – $180 | ~$25 – $35 ~$95 less |
| Availability | Allocated | Widely available easier to find |
- W.L. Weller 12 Year and David Nicholson 1843 do not publish an official mash bill.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
W.L. Weller 12 Year
No notes yet.
David Nicholson 1843
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
W.L. Weller 12 Year David Nicholson 1843
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 7/4 oak: W.L. Weller 12 Year 7 out of 10, David Nicholson 1843 4 out of 10
fruit 6/4 fruit: W.L. Weller 12 Year 6 out of 10, David Nicholson 1843 4 out of 10
heat 3/5 heat: W.L. Weller 12 Year 3 out of 10, David Nicholson 1843 5 out of 10
sweetness 8/7 sweetness: W.L. Weller 12 Year 8 out of 10, David Nicholson 1843 7 out of 10
spice 2/3 spice: W.L. Weller 12 Year 2 out of 10, David Nicholson 1843 3 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: W.L. Weller 12 Year 3 out of 10, David Nicholson 1843 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- W.L. Weller 12 Year: Twelve years on a wheated mash at a modest 90 proof, which is the combination that made this bottle famous. Deep caramel and baked fruit with polished rather than aggressive oak — the closest widely-discussed analogue to the Pappy profile.
- 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 W.L. Weller 12 Year if you want age and elegance on a wheated mash, and you are willing to chase it.
- Go with David Nicholson 1843 if you want a smooth, 100-proof wheater with a long history at a significantly lower price point and without hunting for it.
Best enjoyed neat (W.L. Weller 12 Year); rocks, old-fashioned, cocktails (David Nicholson 1843).