Country: USA 
Distillery: Sourced (Numerous Distilleries)
Type: Whiskey
Age: NAS (7+)
Cask: American Oak 
ABV: 46.5%
Proof: 93
Price: $49

Nose: Banana, sweet corn, dusty grain, lemon, cream custard, a touch of floral character

Palate: Very soft and delicate palate with butterscotch, honey, smoked wood, apples

Finish: Nutmeg, browned butter, banana

One media buzz changed the history of whiskey in the last years. They were saying that Jack Daniel learned how to distill from a former slave named Nathan 'Nearest' Green. After extensive research by the CEO of Uncle Nearest. Fawn Weaver, we could learn that an African-American distiller was the initiator to change the history of the whiskey world and the American whiskey industry. Our friends at Breaking Bourbon tell the story in deep detail in their article!

'The Best Whisky Maker The World Never Knew' is how they describe Mr. Green. It would be really nice to know how his whiskey actually tasted and inspired the young Daniel. However, I am actually happy to see Jack Daniel's and Uncle Nearest collaborating now instead of creating a rivalry. Being fed from a common history line brought a better understanding, kindness, and joy to the industry.

The Whiskey

Even though we know a lot about the history of the brand now, we actually don't know a lot about the whiskey itself. What we know for sure is, the whiskey is sourced from numerous distilleries and all the barrels are handpicked by Fawn Weaver and batches are curated by an extended family member of Nathan Green. This batch I am tasting is curated by Master Blender Victoria Eady Butker. It is bottled at 93 proof.

Uncle Nearest states that the whiskey is at least 7 years old and it is corn driven, so 51% of the mash bill is corn.

How Does It Taste?

The nose showed bananas first with sweet notes of corn, dusty grain. Lemon shows up as over note then followed by cream custard and a touch of flowers. The palate has a very soft and delicate start, Butterscotch, honey, smoked wood and apples are filling the palate with a medium to thin texture.

The finish has nutmeg, browned bitter, bananas, tobacco and cherries. A lovely finish.

Verdict

Uncle Nearest 1884 is a simple and joyful whiskey to sip. For those who like dense and thick texture, it can become light but the flavors are not simple. I actually enjoyed the sweetness level and the finish with darker tones. With the flavor range, I believe Uncle Nearest 1884 can be used in various cocktails with a great joy.