“Whiskey truly is in my blood,” she said. It’s a premium whiskey that many critics and connoisseurs alike say deserves its lengthy list of accolades.ĭue to the praise, Butler gained more confidence in her skill. It turns out the whiskey community felt the same way about the whiskey’s quality. More: Record-breaking sales for Uncle Nearest whiskey, named for a slave who mentored Jack Daniel I knew that it was good, but I didn’t know how the whiskey community would react.” 'Nobody has ever won back-to-back awards. History was made when Butler won the Master Blender of the Year title at Whisky Magazine's American Icons of Whisky Awards for 20. So Weaver asked Butler to blend the second date.īutler went on to blend the third batch, after which her role was elevated to master blender. The result was Uncle Nearest’s first 1884 Small Batch Whiskey.Īnd right off the bat, Uncle Nearest 1884 was winning awards. “It was to give the family more opportunities to be involved,” Butler said. Weaver said she believed that Uncle Nearest needed to expand its line under one condition: A descendent of Nearest Green needed to blend it. 'The thought was I would be in an administration role. “I hadn’t done anything like that before,' Butler said. The addition of Butler, the first Black female whiskey master blender, would prove to be significant for Uncle Nearest in more ways than one.īutler’s great-great-grandfather was Nearest Green.ĭespite her familial relation to Uncle Nearest’s story and mission, Butler didn’t join the team until early 2019.Īlthough her first role wasn’t what she is doing now, less than 60 days in, Butler was asked by Weaver to blend their first small batch. Previously: 100 years after Tulsa Race Massacre, Uncle Nearest Whiskey launches fund for minority-owned spirits Read this: Nashville native and whiskey expert Clay Risen returns home to promote new book on bourbon history with each bottle it introduces – from its 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey to its Nathan Green 1870 Single Barrel to its 1884 Small Batch Whiskey. The fastest-growing whiskey brand in the country pays tribute to the first recorded African-American master distiller in U.S. When the Shelbyville-headquartered Uncle Nearest debuted in 2017, Green’s legacy was further resurrected.

Uncle Nearest is named for master distiller Nathan 'Nearest' Green, a former slave who taught Jack Daniel distilling in the 1800s – a tale that, until recently, was lost in history. Tennessee’s Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey was featured on Food & Wine's inaugural Drinks Innovators of the Year list.ĬEO Fawn Weaver and master blender Victoria Eady Butler were honored for their ongoing creativity and influence within the drinks space.

Uncle nearest whiskey