Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey

Last updated
Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey
Company typeprivate
FoundedJuly 2017 (Lynchburg, Tennessee)
Founder Fawn Weaver
Keith Weaver
Headquarters
Shelbyville, Tennessee
,
US
Area served
Worldwide
Key people

Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey is a brand of Tennessee whiskey produced by Uncle Nearest, Inc., headquartered in Shelbyville, Tennessee, United States. The whiskey is named after the formerly enslaved man, Nathan "Nearest" Green, who taught a young Jack Daniel the craft of distilling. [1]

Contents

As of 2023, eight brand variants have been produced. [2] [3] According to the IWSR, Uncle Nearest is the fastest-growing whiskey brand in the United States, [4] and is recognized as the most successful Black-owned distillery in the world. [5]

Uncle Nearest was named one of the 100 Reasons to Love America by People magazine in 2021, [6] and one of Inc.'s 5000 fastest-growing US companies from 2019 to 2022. [7]

History

Uncle Nearest, Inc., launched the Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey brand in July 2017 and subsequently announced plans to expand into domestic and international markets, debuting its first whiskey, Nathan Green 1870 Single Barrel, in October 2018. [8] It is the first spirit named after an African-American. [9] [10] [11] As of September 2019, it is sold in all 50 states and twelve countries, and reached $100 million in sales in October 2022. [12] [13]

In 2019, [14] Uncle Nearest announced Victoria Eady Butler, a descendant of Nathan Green, as master blender, becoming the first known African-American female whiskey master blender. [15] [16] She was named Master Blender of the Year by Whisky Magazine, VinePair, and The Spirits Business in 2021, [17] [18] and became Whisky's first back-to-back winner in 2022. [19]

In June 2020, the Nearest Green Foundation (co-founded by Fawn and Keith Weaver) and the Jack Daniel Distillery announced the Nearest & Jack Advancement Initiative. [20] Each company contributed $2.5 million to create the Nearest Green School of Distilling at Motlow State Community College, which includes the Leadership Acceleration Program for apprenticeships, and the Business Incubation Program, which provides expertise and resources to African-Americans entering the spirits industry. [21]

On June 1, 2021, Uncle Nearest formed the Uncle Nearest Venture Fund, a $50 million initiative to invest in minority-founded and owned spirits brands. [4] The company announced the Uncle Nearest HBCU Old Fashioned Challenge in January 2023 to raise $1 million for HBCU's. [22]

In October 2023, Uncle Nearest announced the acquisition of Domaine Saint Martin, a 100-acre estate and vineyard in the Grande Champagne district of Cognac. [23] [24]

Nathan "Nearest" Green

Known as Uncle Nearest, Nathan "Nearest" Green was acknowledged in 2016 as the first African-American master distiller on record in the United States. [25] He taught Jack Daniel to make Tennessee whiskey and served as the first master distiller – formerly called "head stiller" – for the Jack Daniel Distillery as a free man after the Civil War. [26] He was instrumental in developing the Lincoln County Process, the sugar maple charcoal filtering method used to make most Tennessee Whiskey. [1] [27]

Nearest Green Distillery

Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville, Tennessee Nearest Green Distillery.jpg
Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville, Tennessee

In 2017, a rezoning proposal was approved by the Bedford County board to accommodate a whiskey-themed business at the former Sand Creek Farms in Shelbyville, Tennessee. [28] On September 14, 2019, [29] the first phase of the Nearest Green Distillery opened, which included the Welcome House, a bottling house, a working horse and cattle farm, and the Toppy's Copper Skies Bar. [30] It was the first distillery in the United States named after a Black person. [31]

After a year-long closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the distillery re-opened its doors on Juneteenth 2021, adding a single-barrel rickhouse, an improved Welcome Center and Family Tasting Room, a restaurant, a non-alcoholic speakeasy, [32] and the Master Blender House. [33] [34] That month, the distillery purchased an additional 53 acres for further expansion, and announced plans to dedicate 100 acres to grow organic corn for its blends. [35]

On March 23, 2023, the distillery opened Humble Baron, a 202-seat entertainment venue featuring a 518-foot long horseshoe bar (designed by Death & Co.), named the longest in the world by the Guinness World Records. [36] [37] The distillery's second phase will complete with the future opening of the Still House. [38]

The company announced the purchase of an additional 109 acres in Shelbyville in May 2023. [39]

Whiskeys

1856 Batch UN 1856 logo.png
1856 Batch

The recipe behind the Uncle Nearest Tennessee whiskeys dates back to the whiskeys made in the late 1800s in Lincoln County. According to Weaver, "[the recipe] was saved from a fire just behind the square in Lynchburg, and is now under lock and key at the Farmers Bank in Lynchburg, the bank Jack Daniel founded in 1888." [25] The recipe includes corn malt, a former whiskey ingredient long missing from Tennessee whiskeys. [25]

The Uncle Nearest brand originally included a silver and an aged whiskey, both distilled from locally sourced grains and bottled in Tennessee. [40] The silver whiskey takes 25 days to make, using an 11-step process that includes a triple charcoal mellowing system designed for the brand. [41] The company added a single-barrel whiskey in July 2018. [9]

The brand's first three releases are named after the year Nearest was born (1820), the year he was credited with perfecting the Lincoln County Process (1856), and the year he retired (1884). [42]

As of 2023, five additional variants have been produced; 1870 Single Barrel (UK), Master Blend Edition, and three rye whiskeys: Straight Rye Whisky, Uncut/Unfiltered Straight Rye Whiskey and Single Barrel Rye. [43]

Awards and ratings

Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Aged WhiskeyNew York World Wine & Spirits Competition2021 Best in Class - Best Tennessee Whiskey [44]

2023 - Double Gold [45]

2022 Chinese Wine & Spirit CompetitionCWSA Whiskey of the Year [46]
2023 L.A. Spirits AwardsBest Tennessee Whiskey [47]
2024 World Whiskey AwardsBest Tennessee Whiskey [48]
Uncle Nearest 1820 Nearest Green Single Barrel Edition San Francisco World Spirits Competition Double Gold - 2020, [49] 2021, [50] 2022 [51]
2023 International Whisky CompetitionBest Tennessee Whiskey [52]
Uncle Nearest 1884 Premium Small Batch WhiskeyAscot AwardsBest American Whiskey - 2021, 2023 [53]
American Whiskey MastersGold Medal - 2022, 2023 [54]
2023 Chinese Wine & Spirits AwardsCWSA Whiskey of the Year [55]
Uncle Nearest Master Blend Edition2022 International Whisky Competition1st Place, Tennessee Whiskey [56]
2022 Great American International Spirits CompetitionBest in Show, Bourbon [57]
2023 TAG Global Spirits AwardsBest in Show, Tennessee Whiskey [58]
Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Rye Whiskey2023 San Francisco World Spirits CompetitionDouble Gold [59]
2023 International Whisky CompetitionBest Rye Whiskey [52]
Uncle Nearest Uncut & Unfiltered Rye Whiskey2023 Whiskies of the World AwardsGold [60]
Uncle Nearest Straight Rye Whiskey2023 San Francisco World Spirits CompetitionGold [61]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whisky</span> Distilled alcoholic beverage

Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from fermented grain mash. Various grains are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden casks, which are typically made of charred white oak. Uncharred white oak casks previously used for the aging of port, rum or sherry are also sometimes used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bourbon whiskey</span> Type of American whiskey

Bourbon whiskey is a type of barrel-aged American whiskey made primarily from corn (maize). The name derives from the French House of Bourbon, although the precise source of inspiration is uncertain; contenders include Bourbon County, Kentucky, and Bourbon Street in New Orleans, both of which are named after the House of Bourbon. The name bourbon might not have been used until the 1850s, and the association with Bourbon County was not evident until the 1870s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rye whiskey</span> Distilled alcoholic beverage

Rye whiskey can refer to two different, but related, types of whiskey:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee whiskey</span> Type of American whiskey

Tennessee whiskey is straight whiskey produced in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Although it has been legally defined as a bourbon whiskey in some international trade agreements, most current producers of Tennessee whiskey disclaim references to their products as "bourbon" and do not label them as such on any of their bottles or advertising materials. All current Tennessee whiskey producers are required by Tennessee law to produce their whiskeys in Tennessee and – with the sole exception of Benjamin Prichard's – to use a filtering step known as the Lincoln County Process prior to aging the whiskey. Beyond the perceived marketing value of the distinction, Tennessee whiskey and bourbon have almost identical requirements, and most Tennessee whiskeys meet the criteria for bourbon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Daniel's</span> Whiskey brand

Jack Daniel's is a brand of Tennessee whiskey. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee, by the Jack Daniel Distillery, which has been owned by the Brown–Forman Corporation since 1956.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Dickel</span> Brand of whisky produced in the State of Tennessee

George Dickel is a brand of Tennessee whisky produced in Tullahoma, in Coffee County, Tennessee. Today owned by Diageo, the modern brand was introduced in 1964, though the distillery has a longer history. Whisky production and aging takes place at the Cascade Hollow Distillery, which offers tours to the public and is part of the American Whiskey Trail. George Dickel operates the second-largest distillery in Tennessee, selling 130,000 cases in 2013, while the largest is Jack Daniel's, which sold 11.5 million cases the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln County Process</span>

The Lincoln County Process is a step used in producing almost all Tennessee whiskeys. The whiskey is filtered through—or steeped in—charcoal chips before going into the casks for aging. The process is named for Lincoln County, Tennessee, which was the location of Jack Daniel's distillery at the time of its establishment, but is no longer used in that county.

A master blender is an individual who develops specific blended spirits using a combination of spirits with different characteristics. For example, in the Scotch whisky industry, master blenders choose which single malts and grain whiskies to combine to make particular brands of blended whisky. A master blender is not the same thing as a master distiller, although one person may do both jobs at small craft distilleries. As the name suggests, the blender creates blends using spirits from different casks and is responsible for making sure the product remains consistent across different batches, while the distiller is either directly responsible for the mashing and distilling of spirits or simply holds the title as the administrative and marketing figurehead of the company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American whiskey</span> Type of distilled liquor produced in the United States

American whiskey is whiskey produced in the United States. American whiskeys made from mashes with at least 51% of their named grains include bourbon whiskey, rye whiskey, rye malt whiskey, malt whiskey, wheat whiskey, Tennessee whiskey, and corn whiskey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulleit Bourbon</span> Brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey

Bulleit Bourbon is a brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey produced at the Bulleit Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky and the Bulleit Distillery in Shelbyville, Kentucky, owned by the Diageo beverage conglomerate. It is characterized by a high rye content for a bourbon and being aged at least six years. It is bottled at 45% abv for the US, Canadian, British, Dutch and Mexican markets. For Australian and Danish markets, it is bottled at 40% abv. It is also sold in Germany, Norway and Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nelson's Green Brier Distillery</span> United States historic place

Nelson's Green Brier Distillery is a whiskey distillery located in downtown Nashville, Tennessee that produces different varieties of Tennessee whiskey and bourbons. The distillery offers daily public tours and tastings as well as a large mercantile shop with bottles, barware and apparel available for purchase. In July 2023, Nelson's Green Brier Distillery opened a newly renovated distillery restaurant and full-service bar at their 1414 Clinton St. Nashville, TN 37203 location. The same facility also now offers four new private event and dining spaces available to rent for corporate functions, weddings and celebrations of varying sizes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willett Distillery</span>

Willett Distillery Ltd, is a private, family-owned-and-operated company that produces bourbon and rye whiskey. Over the years, the company has bottled whiskeys that range from two years of aging maturity up to 28 years. The company was named Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD) between 1984 and 2012.

Suntory Global Spirits, formerly known as Beam Suntory, Inc., is the American subsidiary of the Japanese beverage company Suntory. The company produces alcoholic beverages.

Old Pogue is a brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. Located in Maysville, Kentucky, the Old Pogue Distillery carries strong family ties dating back to the 1870s, and is privately owned by members of the Pogue family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathan "Nearest" Green</span> American master whiskey distiller (1820 –?)

Nathan "Nearest" Green, incorrectly spelled "Nearis" in an 1880 census, was an American head stiller, more commonly referred to as a master distiller. Born into slavery and emancipated after the American Civil War, he taught his distilling techniques to Jack Daniel, founder of the Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey distillery. Green was hired as the first master distiller for Jack Daniel Distillery, and he is the first African-American master distiller on record in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fawn Weaver</span> American entrepreneur and author

Fawn Weaver is an American entrepreneur and author who holds the position of CEO at Grant Sidney Inc. In 2017, Weaver co-founded Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey where she serves as the chief historian. She is the founder of the Nearest Green Foundation. In March 2021, she was named to Endeavor's board of directors.

Master distiller is a title often used for a distilling expert or a key leader or owner at modern distilleries. The title doesn't have a fixed definition and can mean different things at different companies. Although the craft of distilling has existed for centuries throughout history, the term "master distiller" only dates back as far as the 1800s when it was first used to acknowledge the distilling expertise and knowledge a person gained after practicing and perfecting the craft of distilling for many years. In more recent usage, the term can have a much broader meaning and is sometimes used for owners and company leaders who run their companies but do not actively create the distilling recipes and processes used at their distilleries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of whisky</span> Distilled alcoholic beverage

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to whisky:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WhistlePig</span> Whiskey distillery based in Vermont, USA

WhistlePig is a whiskey distillery based in Vermont. The distillery primarily makes rye whiskey, and is known for "ultra-premium" rye, a category it largely occupied alone in the early 21st century, when most rye sold for about $20 per bottle. WhistlePig dates to 2007, when entrepreneur Raj Bhakta purchased land for the WhistlePig distillery. The whiskey brand was launched in 2010, and its first product, its 10-year rye, was released in 2015.

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