Fawn Weaver founded Uncle Nearest in 2017 to correct the historical record: Nathan Nearest Green, the first known African American master distiller, taught Jack Daniel the craft. The brand grew to a large campus in Shelbyville, Tennessee, and became one of the fastest-growing American whiskeys, keeping the Lincoln County Process at its center. 1856, bottled at 100 proof, was the first core release, and newer bottlings use more whiskey from the brand's own barrels after an early period of sourced whiskey. Since August 2025 the company has been run by a court-appointed receiver after the company defaulted on loans from Farm Credit Mid-America. The receiver removed Fawn and Keith Weaver from management effective June 2026 and is seeking a buyer.