Tasting notes

nose

Eucalyptus, licorice and caraway over buttery honey and pumpernickel, with caramelized sugar, green apple, lemon peel, clove and a light berry note

palate

Oily and clinging, with licorice-tinged honey, fennel and dense rye bread giving way to white pepper, chili heat, dry roasted oak, orange peel, mint and a touch of butterscotch, the heat building steadily

finish

Long and dry, with bold rye spice, roasted oak and clove carrying on beside honey, ginger and pear, then a light leather note as the tannins tighten and the warmth slowly fades

Mash bill

100% rye. Tennessee soil does not grow rye well, so Uncle Nearest looked outside the state and found this all-rye whiskey, distilled in Canada and aged in New York. With no corn or barley in the recipe, the grain's spice carries the whiskey.

Awards

• 95 Points — Berlin International Spirits Competition 2022
• Double Gold — Concours d'Spirits Competition 2022
• Master Medal — The Drinks Business & The Spirits Business Autumn Tasting 2022

Why it's craft

Uncle Nearest did not distill this rye: it was made at an undisclosed Canadian distillery, aged at least four years in New York, then brought to Shelbyville to rest in barrels that had held Uncle Nearest whiskey. Master blender Victoria Eady Butler chose to leave it uncut and unfiltered, a departure from the filtration method her great-great-grandfather Nearest Green was known for, and it is sold only at Nearest Green Distillery. The company has been under a federal court-appointed receivership since August 2025, with a sale of its assets still unsigned in October 2026.