Uncle Nearest Master Blend: Available for the 1st Time Outside the Distillery

UNCLE NEAREST MASTER BLEND EDITION

SHELBYVILLE, TENNESSEE

 

WHY BUY:
What we have here, folks, is history in the making: for the first time ever, Uncle Nearest has made its most coveted expression — its Master Blend — available outside of the distillery. In other words, the most exceptional bottling from the most-awarded straight bourbon and Tennessee whiskey producer in the country for six years running — a producer Forbes has christened a maker of "whiskey unicorns.” Drawn from the most spectacular barrels in the house, bottled at cask strength, and rested in a non-temperature-controlled rickhouse for 5 years, it’s one of the finest releases this year … and maybe in many a year.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:
In 2024 alone, Uncle Nearest captured Double Gold at both the New York International Spirits Competition and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The accolades speak to the extraordinary consistency that has come to define this extraordinary portfolio.

OUR TASTING NOTES:
Master Blender Victoria Eady Butler sets aside only the most exceptional barrels for this blend, and it doesn’t take long for you to appreciate the depth and detailing on display. The nose opens with honeyed vanilla and toasted oak, but wait for it — there's something more complex lurking beneath, with hints of brown butter and maple adding intrigue and allure. On the palate, the notes of caramel and spice unfold with a kind of stately poise and grace, putting you in mind of a lazy Sunday afternoon in the South, beneath the shade of a magnolia tree. Most impressive of all, though, is the finish: long and remarkably clean, with subtle — and resonant -- notes of dark chocolate. A drink of great maturity, smoothness, and confidence.

THE STORY:
As so many great American success stories do, this one begins with a newspaper article. Entrepreneur Fawn Weaver was reading the New York Times when she stumbled upon a piece about the untold origins of Jack Daniel's whiskey. At the heart of that article was one Nathan "Nearest" Green, an enslaved man who had taught a young Jack Daniel the art of distillation. The revelation hit Weaver like lightning: here was a master craftsman whose techniques had shaped America's most famous whiskey brand, yet whose name remained unknown. Rather than simply shaking her head at historical injustice, Weaver did something extraordinary: she launched an entire company to restore Nearest's legacy. Seven years later, Uncle Nearest has become something more than a tribute, or a social justice cause. Weaver has created a spirits phenomenon. The distillery in Shelbyville operates as both a working distillery and a pilgrimage site, where visitors can taste whiskey made using Nearest's techniques: new American oak barrels, low barrel entry proof, sugar maple charcoal filtration, and patient aging in non-temperature controlled rickhouses. Victoria Eady Butler, Nearest Green's fifth-generation descendant, now serves as Master Blender, creating whiskeys that honor her ancestor's legacy while pushing the craft forward. This  Master Blend is, in many ways, the culmination of that heritage.

THE METHOD:
After distillation, aging, filtration through sugar maple charcoal, and bottling, the Master Blend is bottled at cask strength at the Nearest Green Distillery, ensuring that what reaches your glass is exactly what Victoria Eady Butler intended: no dilution, no compromise.

WHAT TO PAIR IT WITH:
This is a whiskey that loves company. For a maximally Southern experience, try it with grilled peaches with brown butter. 

FUN FACT:
Fawn Weaver's journey landed her a spot on Forbes's list of The Richest Self-Made Women, at #68. 

OUR GUARANTEE:
As always, we only buy and source directly from the distiller, to ensure pristine provenance for every bottle. Don’t hesitate — secure your piece of whiskey history today!