The story of Nearest Green remained largely untold for over a century. It wasn't until author Fawn Weaver began researching the origins of Jack Daniel's that Green's contributions came to light. As the story goes, Nearest Green, born into slavery around 1820, was a skilled distiller who taught a young Jack Daniel the art of whiskey-making, including the Lincoln County Process - a unique charcoal mellowing technique that defines Tennessee whiskey.
Weaver's research led her to collaborate with Green's descendants, ultimately resulting in the creation of Uncle Nearest Whiskey. This brand aims not only to produce exceptional spirits but also to ensure that Nearest Green's legacy is properly recognised and celebrated.
The Nearest Green Distillery, opened in 2019, is a testament to this mission. Located on a sprawling 323-acre property in Shelbyville, Tennessee, the distillery is a state-of-the-art facility that blends modern technology with time-honoured traditions.
The facility uses limestone-filtered water from the nearby Duck River, a crucial ingredient that contributes to the whiskey's smooth character. The distillery also employs the Lincoln County Process, the very technique that Nearest Green was known for perfecting.
Uncle Nearest whiskeys are crafted using a blend of traditional methods and modern expertise. The mash bill typically consists of corn, rye, and malted barley, although exact proportions are kept secret. After fermentation and distillation, the spirit undergoes the signature charcoal mellowing process.
This involves slowly dripping the fresh whiskey through sugar maple charcoal, a step that removes impurities and imparts a distinctive smoothness. Following this, the whiskey is aged in new, charred oak barrels for varying periods, depending on the expression being produced.
Uncle Nearest offers a diverse range of whiskeys, each with its own character and each with a different date on the bottle that indicates a life event for Nearest Green:
Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Whiskey is the flagship product (and the one we are featuring in September 2024), named after the year Nearest Green began perfecting his distilling process. It's a blend of whiskeys aged between 8-14 years. This means the whiskey currently in Uncle Nearest bottles is sourced from another Tennessee Whiskey distillery, George Dickel.
Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch Whiskey honours the last year Nearest Green is believed to have put whiskey into barrels. It's a small batch offering with a rich, complex flavour profile. Uncle Nearest 1820 Single Barrel Whiskey, named for Green's estimated birth year, is a premium single barrel offering, with each bottle bearing the barrel number and bottling date. Uncle Nearest Uncut/Unfiltered is a cask strength offering that showcases the raw power and complexity of the whiskey straight from the barrel. Uncle Nearest Rye is a more recent addition to the lineup, expanding the brand's range into different whiskey styles.
