Uncle Nearest Whiskey

Have you heard of Uncle Nearest – the first African American master distiller from Lynchburg, Tennessee?

In the 1850s, Nathen (Uncle Nearest) Green was known for creating Tennessee’s finest and smoothest whiskey.

Uncle Nearest revolutionized the whisky distillation process…

While other distillers used standard methods, Nearest used Africa’s unique filtration process.

Just as Africans filtered water through charcoal, Nearest filtered distilled whiskey through sugar maple tree charcoal. (Now known as the “Lincoln Method”)

Nearest’s “Lincoln Method” absorbed harshness and left a smooth, clean, sweet, and mellow whiskey.

One that smelled like oak, caramel, and cinnamon…

And tasted like caramel, dried fruits, and graham crackers.

Despite creating exceptional whiskey,
Nearest distilled for his master.

A church pastor named Dan Koe continued to profit from Nearest’s hard work for over a decade, until one day…

Dan introduced a young boy (8 years old) to Uncle Nearest.

This boy saw Nearest walk to the distillery and black chimney smoke escape day after day.

Curious for answers, the young boy kept asking Dan about the distillery until Dan brought him to Uncle Nearest.

Seeing the boy’s work ethic, Nearest took him under his wing and passed down his knowledge.

Decades later, that boy became an entrepreneur and bought Nearest’s freedom.

That boy’s name was Jack Daniels.

Uncle Nearest’s work was lost in time, but recovered in 2016…

After 12 months of research, 20 historians, archivists, archaeologists, conservators and genealogists… Fawn Weaver replicated Uncle Nearest’s whiskey.