Review: Nearest Green Tennessee Whiskey

I don’t know if there’s a bigger success story in the whiskey world in the last decade than Uncle Nearest, with Nearest Green-descendent Fawn Weaver churning out a range of expressions across the spectrum from the top shelf to, well, further down. Need more proof? Despite its youth, the Uncle Nearest distillery is now the seventh most-visited distillery in the world.

Today we look at the entriest-level of Uncle Nearest bottlings, which is really more of a brand extension into a slightly different name: Nearest Green. No uncles here, it’s very much a base expression of Tennessee Whiskey designed with a lower proof (42% abv) and a much lower price ($30). Other than the fact that it undergoes the Lincoln County Process, thus earning its “Tennessee Whiskey” cred, the distillery offers no other real information about the production — which is perhaps to be expected from a 30 dollar offering.

No matter. We’ll taste it all the same. Here’s the rundown.

I’ve long found Uncle Nearest expressions to be polarizing in both directions, but Nearest Green is easily its most harmless bottling to date. The nose is nutty and slightly sweet, leaning heavily into caramel corn notes as it opens up a bit in the glass. A moderate whiff of furniture polish evokes youth alongside a healthy fistful of peanut shells that never really evaporate.

The palate is equally mild and quite innocuous, and peanut is the predominant flavor element. It’s tempered here and there by toasted coconut, applesauce, and mint jelly — the lattermost complementing the significant sweetness in the mix. As the finish builds, the peanut shell notes merge toward a Chick-O-Stick candy quality, while the fade-out is unexpectedly heavy with banana notes, both chipped and pudding-adjacent. It’s ultimately quite innocuous in both the best and worst possible way.

I tasted this alongside the Uncle Nearest 777 Anniversary Blend and it was surprising how close to the tree Nearest Green’s apple has fallen. Compared to the $139 luxe bottling, the family DNA remains very visible, though it’s more mature and laced with caramel and milk chocolate, with a much clearer layer of tannic oak running through it. I’ll late David’s review do more of the heavy lifting on that front, though. For Nearest Green:

84 proof.

B / $30 / unclenearest.com

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