Uncle Nearest

Uncle Nearest is a relatively new American whiskey to market. The brand pays homage to Nathan ‘Nearest’ Green, the first recognised African-American master distiller in the US. Author and entrepreneur, Fawn Weaver, was inspired by his story and launched the brand in 2017.

The distillery sits on a 432-acre site in Shelbyville, Tennessee. The first phase opened in September 2019 and now includes a cattle farm, stillhouse, bar, restaurant and non-alcholic speakeasy. In 2021, Uncle Nearest was named in the top 100 reasons to love America by People magazine. 

The flagship expression is the 1856 Premium Whiskey. It’s a blend of corn and rye that’s been aged in American oak barrels, resulting in notes of chocolate, vanilla and spice. 1856 is another reference to Nathan Green, as it’s the year that he started working with Jack Daniel. 

Other bottlings in the range include the 1884 Small Batch Tenessee Whiskey, named after the year when his contributions were first recognised. The barrels for this one have been hand-selected by the founders and it’s been blended by the great-great granddaughter of Green.