I’ve more or less given up on Bourbon’s back stories since there’s more fiction than fact in these, generally. If you go by everyone’s origin story there’s about 25 guys who invented bourbon as we know it, so there’s no point in reading about it anymore.

The same is most likely true for ‘Uncle Nearest’. The first thing I see when I google the whiskey is ‘The best whiskey maker the world never knew’. So, I’m gone. Let’s just drink this whiskey.

Okay, so I decided to look after all. It didn’t help. There’s a story about a former slave who became a distiller and a reverend making awesome whiskey in Tennessee, just outside of Lynchburg. Could be true, but I guess there’s some freedom with facts in this.

Anyway, tasting time.

Sniff:
Dry sweetness, with hot cinnamon. Corn, with lots of oak, charry barbecue notes with some grilled mango notes.

Sip:
Again, dry and rather spicy. Crushed black pepper, hot cinnamon. Some barbecue and fruit flavors. Like sweet pork marinade.

Swallow:
It gets more dry with hints of oaky bitterness. Spicy, with some fruit in the background.

Even though it’s at 50% / 100 proof, there’s quite some heat to it and that is something I quite enjoy. Interestingly it doesn’t say ‘bottled in bond’ even though it has the right ABV for it.

All in all, it is not an overly complex thing, but quite a lovable one, which has more to offer than a lot of stuff at the same price point. In Europe it clocks in at about € 65. Not exactly cheap, but leaps and bounds below things regular considered ‘premium whiskey’, like this one.

86/100