Chat with us on WhatsApp
Everything you need to know about Davidson Reserve Distillery
Most popular bottles from the distillery
-
Davidson Reserve Small Batch Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey£64.99 Inc VAT -
Davidson Reserve Small Batch Four Grain Bourbon Whiskey£69.99 Inc VAT
A brief History
Davidson Reserve, Nashville, USA. Founded in late 2016
Nashville Whiskey Done Properly
If you’re looking at Davidson Reserve, you’re firmly in modern American whiskey territory — but done with a bit more care than the usual mass-produced stuff.
It’s made by Pennington Distilling Co. in Nashville, and that matters. This isn’t sourced whiskey dressed up with a label. They actually distil, age, and bottle on-site, which puts them in a smaller group of Tennessee producers doing the full process themselves.
The brand was built to reflect traditional Tennessee whiskey methods, but without being stuck in the past. You’ll still get the familiar bourbon-style sweetness and oak, but with a bit more grain character coming through. It’s small-batch, locally sourced, and designed to show what Tennessee whiskey can taste like when it’s not overly polished.
I’d describe it as confident but not aggressive. You can tell it’s American whiskey straight away — but it’s not trying to overpower you.
Flavour Profile:
 |
 |
 |
| Spicy |
Sweet | Oaky / Woody |
Davidson Reserve leans into a rich, slightly sweet, and grain-forward profile, with a balance between oak and natural grain character.
Davidson Reserve is known for a full, rounded, and slightly layered flavour profile, often showing more character than standard Tennessee whiskey:
- A nose of caramel, vanilla, and light fruit sweetness
- A palate with toasted sugar, spice, and cereal notes
- A finish with oak warmth and a gentle herbal or minty edge
Some batches bring in extra notes like stone fruit, toasted marshmallow, or light citrus, depending on the grain mix and ageing.
It’s still approachable, but there’s enough going on to keep it interesting.
Top 4 Flavour Profile Ingredients
|
Oak / Wood Spice |
 |
Caramel / Toffee |
 |
Vanilla |
 |
Cinnamon / Clove |
Popular Bottles
Here’s the core Davidson Reserve range you’ll typically come across:
- Davidson Reserve Tennessee Straight Bourbon
Classic bourbon profile. Sweet, oaky, and well balanced. - Davidson Reserve Straight Rye Whiskey
More spice-driven. Peppery, with a drier finish. - Davidson Reserve Sour Mash Whiskey
Traditional Tennessee style. Smooth, slightly softer sweetness. - Davidson Reserve Four Grain Bourbon
A blend of multiple mash bills. More complex, slightly richer and varied in flavour.
.
Join our whisky mad family
Learn more about Whisky as well as enjoying exclusive offers and product news
The Distillery
The Distiller: Davidson Reserve
Location: 900 44th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37209, USA
 Open in maps |
 https://www.penningtondistillingco.com |
 +1 615-942-6300 |
Visitor Centre
- Visitor Centre: Yes
- Opening Times: Typically 10:00 – 17:00 (varies slightly)
- Tours: Available with tastings
If you’re in Nashville, this is one of the more accessible craft distilleries to visit. You get a proper look at the production rather than just a showroom.
Ownership History
Current Ownership:
- Pennington Distilling Co.
- Founded by Jeff and Jenny Pennington
Previous Ownership:
- Established as a modern distillery (no long historical ownership chain)
- Built from scratch in the 2010s as part of the craft American whiskey movement
This isn’t a legacy distillery revived from the 1800s — it’s a newer operation aiming to do things properly from the ground up.
Distillery Facts
Overview & History
Davidson Reserve is the premium whiskey range produced by Pennington Distilling Co. in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 2011, the distillery was created to produce authentic grain-to-glass Tennessee whiskey using locally sourced ingredients and traditional production methods.
Named after Davidson County, where Nashville is located, the brand has become one of the leading names in Tennessee's modern craft whiskey movement. Unlike many newer whiskey brands, Davidson Reserve oversees production from grain selection through distillation, maturation, and bottling.
The brand helped establish Nashville as an important whiskey-producing city alongside Tennessee's more traditional whiskey regions.
Production
- Spirit Type: Tennessee Whiskey, Bourbon, and Rye Whiskey
- Location: Nashville, Tennessee
- Distillery: Pennington Distilling Co.
- Grain Source: Locally sourced Tennessee grain
- Barrels: New charred American oak barrels
- Production Style: Small-batch craft distillation
For its Tennessee whiskey expressions, Davidson Reserve uses the traditional Lincoln County Process, filtering the spirit through maple charcoal before maturation.
Whisky Style
Davidson Reserve whiskies typically show:
- Caramel and vanilla sweetness
- Toasted oak influence
- Honey and maple notes
- Baking spice character
- Smooth, rounded finish
The rye expressions tend to display more pepper, cinnamon, and herbal spice, while the bourbons emphasise vanilla, caramel, and oak richness.
Key Expressions
- Davidson Reserve Tennessee Straight Sour Mash Whiskey
- Davidson Reserve Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Davidson Reserve Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey
- Davidson Reserve Four Grain Bourbon
- Davidson Reserve Genesis Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon
The Four Grain Bourbon is particularly notable for combining multiple grain recipes into a single whiskey, while Genesis showcases the distillery's bottled-in-bond credentials.
Significance
Davidson Reserve is an important part of the modern Tennessee craft whiskey movement, demonstrating that premium Tennessee whiskey can be successfully produced beyond the state's historic legacy brands.
Its focus on grain-to-glass production, local sourcing, and traditional Tennessee whiskey methods has helped strengthen Nashville's reputation as a significant whiskey-producing city.
Davidson Reserve Whisky to Buy
Carefully Packed
& Protected
Every bottle is securely packed to ensure it arrives safely.
Free UK Delivery
Over £99
Secure delivery across the UK. Excludes Highlands & Islands.
Expert Whisky
Advice
Our whisky specialists are on hand to help you choose.
