![]() ![]() ![]() The result was Uncle Nearest’s first 1884 Small Batch Whiskey.Īnd right off the bat, Uncle Nearest 1884 was winning awards. “It was to give the family more opportunities to be involved,” Butler said. Weaver said she believed that Uncle Nearest needed to expand its line under one condition: A descendent of Nearest Green needed to blend it. "The thought was I would be in an administration role. “I hadn’t done anything like that before," Butler said. The addition of Butler, the first Black female whiskey master blender, would prove to be significant for Uncle Nearest in more ways than one.īutler’s great-great-grandfather was Nearest Green.ĭespite her familial relation to Uncle Nearest’s story and mission, Butler didn’t join the team until early 2019.Īlthough her first role wasn’t what she is doing now, less than 60 days in, Butler was asked by Weaver to blend their first small batch. Previously: 100 years after Tulsa Race Massacre, Uncle Nearest Whiskey launches fund for minority-owned spirits Read this: Nashville native and whiskey expert Clay Risen returns home to promote new book on bourbon history with each bottle it introduces – from its 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey to its Nathan Green 1870 Single Barrel to its 1884 Small Batch Whiskey. The fastest-growing whiskey brand in the country pays tribute to the first recorded African-American master distiller in U.S. When the Shelbyville-headquartered Uncle Nearest debuted in 2017, Green’s legacy was further resurrected. Uncle Nearest is named for master distiller Nathan "Nearest" Green, a former slave who taught Jack Daniel distilling in the 1800s – a tale that, until recently, was lost in history. Tennessee’s Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey was featured on Food & Wine's inaugural Drinks Innovators of the Year list.ĬEO Fawn Weaver and master blender Victoria Eady Butler were honored for their ongoing creativity and influence within the drinks space. Other brand variants include Uncle Nearest 1820 Premium Aged Whiskey, Nathan Green 1870 Single Barrel, and Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch Tennessee Whiskey.Watch Video: How best-selling author altered the Jack Daniel's story Uncle Nearest is a black-owned whiskey based on a recipe created by the USA’s first black master distiller. This is a great whiskey to use for a whiskey sour cocktail. It reminded me of a little of my grandfather’s woodwork bench and the smell of him creating furniture. ![]() Together with the maple sweetness and the vanilla, this created bits of magic on my palate. I loved the toasted oak notes in this whiskey. Big and bold, but still smooth and unique. Lovely drinking whiskey.įINISH: Medium length finish with notes of vanilla, oak spices and caramel sweetness. Water opens up the spices and makes the nutmeg and cinnamon more pronounced. A mild pepper heat with nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon.įaint traces of dark chocolate. Hints of caramel before the spices appear. Hot oats drizzled with vanilla sugar and maple syrup. Something green in the background with hints of far-off charcoal smoke and spices. NOSE: Dried grass, vanilla and peaches drizzled with maple syrup. Review and Tasting Notes for the Uncle Nearest 1856 Whiskey The new distillery was founded by Fawn Weaver and owned by Grant Sidney Inc. The new Nearest Green distillery is currently in Phase 1 and set on a 270-acre horse farm located in Shelbyville, on the way to Lynchburg. Uncle Nearest 1856 is a blend of whiskey aged between 8 and 14 years. It was aged in new, charred American oak barrels. ![]() The mash bill is not stated but contains at least 51% corn and a high rye percentage. It is distilled based on a recipe credited to Uncle Nearest that dates back to the late 1800s. Green’s sons also worked at the JD distillery, and now Green’s great-great-granddaughter, Victoria Eady Butler, is the master blender for the whiskey honouring his legacy.Ĭurrently, this Tennessee whiskey is sourced from two (unnamed) Tennessee distilleries. He was the first master distiller at Jack Daniel’s. It starts with a formerly enslaved person Nathan “Nearest” Green, and his involvement in developing Jack Daniel’s whiskey and the Lincoln County process (charcoal filtration). It is a whiskey with an extraordinary history. The Uncle Nearest whisky launched its 1856 expression in 2017. So while dreaming of going back to meeting friends at whisky shows, I taste some whisky inspired by the shows. This year and still no whisky shows (yet), I decided that it is time to write about this bottling. The whiskey was the Uncle Nearest 1856 whiskey, and the taste was so unique and exciting I went out to buy a bottle. Long long ago, in a different world, when we still had whisky shows, I was fortunate to try a relatively new whiskey release to SA. ![]()
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