Shelbyville, Tennessee-based Uncle Nearest whiskey launched the first release in its new Lost Chapter series this month, debuting Lost Chapter 1-777. The 7 year old blended whiskey, bottled at barrel strength (between 110-120 proof), is inspired by the book “Love & Whiskey,” written by Uncle Nearest founder and CEO Fawn Weaver, which was published in June.
The limited edition Lost Chapter 1-777 ($139) was released with an allocation of just 7,000 bottles and, along with commemorating Weaver’s book, it celebrates the seventh anniversary of the Uncle Nearest brand’s debut in July 2017. The new label is available at the Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville, Tennessee, as well as select retail stores in 35 states. Lost Chapter 1-777 was also available on reservebar.com, but sold out quickly. Whiskey drinkers who purchase Lost Chapter 1-777 gain access to an unpublished chapter of “Love & Whiskey,” which they can download via QR code on a special tag. The book—entitled “Love & Whiskey: The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel, His Master Distiller Nearest Green, and the Improbable Rise of Uncle Nearest”—tells the story of Nearest Green, the African-American distiller who helped create Jack Daniel’s, and his bond with Jack Daniel.
If you can't get ahold of this release, the good news is that more Lost Chapter whiskeys are in the planning. Though the company hasn’t revealed how many specialty whiskeys will be released in the series, there will be additional bottlings sold with more unpublished chapters. In addition, this summer, portfolio mate Uncle Nearest Single Barrel will feature neck tags with a link to download the first unpublished chapter.
The Uncle Nearest portfolio spans a variety of different expressions. Its core labels, sold nationwide, include 1856 Premium Aged whiskey (50%, $59), 1884 Small Batch whiskey (46.5%, $49), Straight rye (50%, $60), and Single Barrel Black Label (proof varies, $90). The brand also does several bottlings that are sold only at the Nearest Green Distillery, including Uncle Nearest Master Blend Edition (proof varies; $149), Uncut/Unfiltered Straight rye (proof varies; $149), and Single Barrel rye (proof varies; $89).
The Nearest Green Distillery was opened in September 2019 to honor the history of Uncle Nearest whiskey and Tennessee. Located on a 458-acre former horse farm, the place underwent a $50 million build-out for its transformation into a whiskey destination. It houses a welcome center where guests can learn about the history of Tennessee whiskey, Tennessee walking horses, and Tennessee music, while a gift shop offers a variety of Uncle Nearest retail items. The campus also features several bars and restaurants: the snack spot Concession Stand, the non-alcoholic speakeasy Philo + Frank’s, and the eateries Barrel House BBQ II and Humble Baron. Fans can also visit the tasting room, the master blender house, single barrel warehouse, and bottling house. The distillery itself is still being built, and Uncle Nearest thus has been sourced from an undisclosed Tennessee distillery, although barrels for the single barrel whiskey laid down by the Uncle Nearest team are currently maturing on-site. Uncle Nearest's master blender Victoria Eady is a fifth-generation descendant of Nearest Green.
Eady's ancestor and the Uncle Nearest brand's inspiration, Nearest Green, is credited with helping to perfect the Lincoln County Process for filtration, a process that’s well known to Jack Daniel’s lovers. The Lincoln County Process requires that whiskey is filtered through sugar maple charcoal and is a primary distinguishing characteristic between Tennessee whiskey and bourbon.
In addition to founding Uncle Nearest, Weaver is an entrepreneur and writer. Along with launching the whiskey brand, she created the non-profit Nearest Green Foundation to provide scholarships to descendants of Nearest Green and support initiatives that benefit disadvantaged communities. The foundation partnered with Jack Daniel Distillery in 2020 to create the Nearest and Jack Advancement Initiative to elevate people of color in the American whiskey industry and support diversity in the spirits industry overall.
