Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskeys Review

Brent Joseph -

I’ll be honest when I was invited on the PR trip for Uncle Nearest, I had never tried their product. I did very little research and investigation into the brand so that I could go into the experience with an open mind and an unbiased opinion. I knew that the brand was based near Lynchburg, TN and that it was a MBE. Before I arrived I kind of just assumed that it was a Jack Daniel’s product or brand that was being marketed as a minority owned company. It is not that. At all.

The things that Fawn Weaver and her team at Uncle Nearest is doing is extremely impressive. This isn’t just a marketing gimmick. The brand has purchased the 313 acre Dan Call Farm where Nathan Green lived as a slave and first taught Jack Daniels the process of filtering distillate through sugar maple charcoal. The brand has also been responsible for the cleanup, restoration, and renovation of the African American cemetery where Nathan Green is buried. It is located right next to the Lynchburg City Cemetery. They’ve added lights, a stone entryway, a fence, and cleaned and restored headstones at this historic site. They have not only received permission from Nathan Green’s family to use his name on their brand, Fawn and her team have involved and employed some of his remaining family and involved them in company. Most notably Miss Victoria Eady Butler, Nathan Green’s great-great-granddaughter as their Master Blender. Another amazing thing that the Uncle Nearest brand has done for the Lynchburg community is establish the Nearest Green Foundation which provides scholarships that are available to all of Nearest Green’s descendants. It’s extremely impressive and incredibly admirable that Fawn and her team have set out to involve the community and give back before their own production facility was even completed.

The new Nearest Green Distillery is a currently in Phase 1 and set on a 270 acre walking horse farm located in Shelbyville, TN on the way to Lynchburg at the former Sand Hill Creek location. The site currently has a retail store, a bottling house, and the Tennessee walking horse experience where guests can learn the history of the walking horse. There is also a tasting area called the Welcome House as well as the Copper Skies Experience where you can enjoy a craft cocktail on the covered porch in one of the numerous rocking chairs while enjoying an unobstructed view of the sunset. The distillery currently offers a Tasting and Hard Hat Tour as well as a weekly Founder’s Tour.

As a final takeaway from my experience with the Uncle Nearest brand, their team, and Fawn herself, I have to say that the thing that impressed me the most was their complete transparency and honest answers to every single question I asked. They are not hiding the fact that their product has been sourced while they are currently laying down their own barrels as they’ve been contract distilling off site while their distillery gets built. They have been up front about their entire process and don’t have anything to hide. It’s refreshing to see when so many new brands seem to create a story and hope the public buys in. No matter what, this brand deserves a try based on what they are doing for the local community alone.

UNCLE NEAREST 1820 SINGLE BARREL WHISKEY REVIEW

  • DISTILLER: Produced by Uncle Nearest. Currently using sourced whiskey from an undisclosed distillery – rumored to be from George Dickel & Co.
  • MASH BILL: ?
  • AGE: 11 years
  • YEAR: 2019
  • PROOF: 115.1 Proof (57.55% ABV)
  • MSRP: $120.00

BRENT'S NOTES

NOSE: Alcohol |  Grain  |  Oak; Not a strong nose at all

TASTE: Black Pepper  |  Maple Syrup  |  Hint of Spearmint and Anise; Surprisingly not oak forward for an 11 year old.

FINISH: A longer finish but not overly hot or with much burn. Vanilla and baking spices linger on the palate.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bar and try it for yourself.

OVERALL: 115 proof and 11 years old is always something that will pique my interest. It’s a good sipper but the price is a bit on the high side for what it is. Priced online at $115-$120, I’d have a hard time justifying a bottle of this for my home bar.

BRAND NOTES

Did you know that less than 1% of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey barrels will ever be selected as single barrels? In order to be a candidate for our Uncle Nearest 1820, the whiskey must be aged a minimum of 11 years, with a cask strength above 108, and each one is hand-picked by our founders and approved by a panel of whiskey industry professionals. These barrels are exceptionally rare and the whiskey is worth the wait.

UNCLE NEAREST 1884 SMALL BATCH WHISKEY REVIEW

  • DISTILLER: Produced by Uncle Nearest. Currently using sourced whiskey from an undisclosed distillery – rumored to be from George Dickel & Co.
  • MASH BILL: ?
  • AGE: NAS – No Age Statement
  • YEAR: 2019
  • PROOF: 93 Proof (46.5% ABV)
  • MSRP: $50.00

BRENT'S NOTES

NOSE: White Pepper – Leather – Honey

TASTE: A bit dry but very smooth with a cotton candy like sweetness. There is a cool mint flavor left on my palate that is very nice.

FINISH: Pretty short and smooth. Just a little tingle of warmth in my chest. To be expected with a lighter whiskey but nothing that stands out.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bar and try it for yourself.

OVERALL:The 1884 is chosen by Uncle Nearest’s Master Blender and great-great-granddaughter Victoria Eady Butler. This was from Batch No. 1. Every batch will be different but this one was a bit bland for me. Nothing really stood out and blew me away but it was nice to sip on. This whiskey has won multiple awards so don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself to see if you like it. The 1884 can be found online for about $50.

BRAND NOTES

Uncle Nearest 1884 is the proud legacy of the best whiskey maker the world never knew, Tennessee distilling legend, Nearest Green. Each small batch has its barrels hand selected by our founders with each blend curated by descendants of Nearest Green. The signature of the descendant who curated each batch is embossed on the back.

UNCLE NEAREST 1856 PREMIUM AGED WHISKEY REVIEW

  • DISTILLER: Produced by Uncle Nearest. Currently using sourced whiskey from an undisclosed distillery – rumored to be from George Dickel & Co.
  • MASH BILL: ?
  • AGE: NAS – A blend of premium aged whiskies between 8 and 14 years old
  • YEAR: 2019
  • PROOF: 100 Proof (50% ABV)
  • MSRP: $60.00
  • BUY ONLINE: Wine-Searcher.com

BRENT'S NOTES

NOSE: Alcohol Vapor  |  Fresh Orange Peel  |  Floral

TASTE: Big blast of vanilla sweetness on the palate. The Lincoln County Process prevalent, you get that familiar flavor from the sugar maple charcoal filtering. Very easy to drink.

FINISH: Not as much burn as you might expect for a 100 proof offering. There is a nice tingle that remains on your palate as you contemplate your next sip and it lasts longer than I expected it to.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bar and try it for yourself.

OVERALL: The 1856 is their flagship label and it’s good. You should be able to find it available online for $46-$60. I enjoyed all of the Uncle Nearest products and I recommend you try them as well. They are a brand that is doing great things for their local community and they have a real history that they are committed to honoring. Their pricing is in line or even cheaper when compared to other sourced brands on the market and I promise that if you’re reading this blog, you’ve spent much more on a lot worse.

I’d rank my preference as:

  1. 1820 Single Barrel
  2. 1856 Premium Aged
  3. 1884 Small Batch

BRAND NOTES

Uncle Nearest 1856 is a blend of premium aged whiskies between 8 and 14 years old. It has a caramel color with a beautiful deep golden hue. On the nose, baled hay and pumpkin seeds with subtle notes of ripe stone fruit and caramel corn. Bold and spicy upfront then mellows with sweet caramel and maple, like biting into an oatmeal raisin cookie. The finish is long and rich. It lingers pleasantly sweet on the palate with notes of vanilla after the spice dissipates.

APPEARANCE
Light caramel, straw/hay, beautiful deep golden hue

NOSE
Bale of hay, dried grass, stone fruit notes of ripe peach and apricot, caramel corn and sweet maple.

PALATE
Spicy caramel up front with the proof, hints of maple then mellows with dried fruit and floral notes. Sweetness and spice reminiscent of freshly baked oatmeal raisin cookies.

FINISH
Long and rich finish, lingers pleasantly sweet on the palate, notes of vanilla.

Disclaimer: Uncle Nearest provided Bourbon & Banter with lodging to visit their facilities and sample their products for this review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.