Introduction
Today, we are checking out David Nicholson Reserve, a 100 proof bourbon whiskey from LuxCo, also known as Lux Row. Lux Row built their distillery between 2017 and 2019, and they produce one of our favorite whiskey lines, Rebel Bourbon.
This bourbon, at the time of review, is another of their sourced products, rumored to come from Heaven Hill. David Nicholson was a regional brand from the St. Louis area, but has expanded to national distribution. This particular expression is a high-rye bourbon, but the exact mash bill and age are undisclosed. Let's dive into our live tasting and see what we think.
The following review is taken from our episode "Zero Dark Thirty / David Nicholson Reserve Bourbon." Click the link to listen to this 10-minute review in audio format.
Nose
Bob: I'm nosing this, and I really love the nose on this, man. There's a ton of green apple on this for me, and I got a specific candy memory: those chewy sweet tarts with the white inside. It's got a very specific, almost sour, powdery fruitiness that I dig. The only thing is, for a high-rye bourbon, I get almost no rye on this nose. I’m giving it a 7.5/10.
Brad: For me, it’s a little nutty with some cherry, a bit of allspice, and then caramel and vanilla notes coming out the longer I sit with it. It’s solid but not complex enough for a high score. I'll give it a 7/10.
Taste
Brad: On the palate, it dives heavily into cherry. It’s almost like a chocolate cherry cordial, with a bit of vanilla that pops in, making it nice and creamy. I like this flavor a lot, but I’m a little annoyed that it’s a high-rye and I’m not getting any rye. I’ll give it a 7.5/10.
Bob: Everything you got, I’m getting. There's a little bit of vanilla, but it's almost like an artificial vanilla extract. The fruitiness goes away, and it’s more in the milk chocolate range. When you swallow, there's a ton of oak and char, and it balances out with that syrupy sweet cherry, almost like Robitussin. I don’t hate it, and I thought I would. I’m giving it a 7.5/10.
Finish
Brad: On the finish, it kind of lingers with that sickly sweet cherry, which I’m not a huge fan of. I’ll give it a 6/10.
Bob: The finish has a lot of oak and char, with that syrupy cherry lingering. It’s got a burst of heat that spreads across the palate. I’ll give it a 7/10.
Balance
Brad: For balance, there are some good flavors, but I don’t know if they’re all mixing well. I think I’ll give it a 6.5/10.
Bob: The sum of the parts is less than each of them. The whole experience taken together is just a 6.5/10.
Value
Brad: This bottle sells in Ohio for $40. Bob, this isn’t a $40 whiskey. I give it a 4.5/10 for value.
Bob: If we knew more about it, maybe we could justify the price a bit. It's 100 proof, but it’s not bottled in bond, just 100 proof. At $40, it has better competition. I’m giving it a 5.5/10.
Final Scores
Brad: My final score is 31.5/50.
Bob: I’m at 34/50. Combined, we come to a total of 65.5/100 or 32.75/50.
Conclusion
At Film & Whiskey, we typically recommend trying a pour at a bar or buying a bottle if it scores above 35/50. A score of 40/50 is considered great, and 45/50 is excellent. Given our combined score of 32.75/50, David Nicholson Reserve Bourbon Whiskey falls short of our recommendation. It's not a bad whiskey, but it doesn’t stand out in any particular aspect. There are better options available for the price, so we’d suggest exploring other bourbons, such as Rebel, which continues to be a favorite of ours.
