Though relatively new to the scene as a distillery, Uncle Nearest traces its roots to much earlier times. For those unfamiliar with the story of Jack Daniels (arguably the most widely known American whiskey), Jack Daniels the man learned the art of whiskey making from a Lutheran minister and an ex-slave named Nathan Green, a.k.a. Uncle Nearest. Uncle Nearest operated his distilling operation outside of Lynchburg, TN, and his whiskey gained contemporary prominence in the 1870’s and 80’s. Many credit Uncle Nearest with perfecting the Lincoln County Process. This process filters whiskey through sugar maple charcoal prior to aging in charred oak barrels, and is essentially what defines ‘Tennessee Whiskey‘. Today operating out of Shelbyville, TN, Uncle Nearest dedicates itself to this history. The 1884 Small Batch comes from barrels selected by the founders and each blend is ultimately curated by Master Blender, Victoria Eady Butler – herself a 5th generation Green descendent. With that background, we move to the Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch review.

While plenty of information exists on the distillery itself, sadly little prevails regarding 1884 Small Batch. The bottle and website provide no information regarding age statement or mash bill. Presumably the Lincoln County Process is employed, but even that is not clear. My bottle does not explicitly and technically even call this a ‘Tennessee Whiskey’. Rather, it says it is the smoothest whiskey in Tennessee, which may be a play on semantics. Finally, the one piece of information it does spell out is proof, landing at 93 (46.5% ABV). Though a bit mysterious, let’s see if the whiskey itself provides any clarity.

Bottle and Appearance

In the bottle, 1884 displays a ruddy penny copper appearance. Shifting to the glass lightens the color slightly ad giving it a swirl demonstrates a thick coating on the sides. Uniform beads form that ultimately cascade down the glass in a slow crawl – nice display. The bottle itself looks sharp with basic but bold font and coloring. It stands out well. On the information, however, things tend to fall apart a little bit. Very little detail is provided regarding the history, and even less regarding the whiskey itself. Frankly, I would have had no idea about the story behind this whiskey if a talkative and knowledgable store clerk didn’t bother inform me. As such, this purchase credit goes to the clerk and not the bottle.

Nose

Lifting the glass to the nose produces a pungent effect. An initial fruit bouquet bursts through upfront that eventually comes to resemble Bartlett pear. A tanned leather note sits right underneath which proves both inviting and comforting. Deeper within, cotton candy reveals itself adding both sweetness and buoyancy. Things take a surprising turn as notes of Windex creep in essentially out of nowhere adding a soapy, chemical tinge. While fairly balanced and enjoyable throughout, the profile seems to lose control toward the end marring an otherwise strong start.

Palate

1884 Small Batch starts off with an astringency in the mouth. Maple comes through first – perhaps a sign that Uncle Nearest does employ the Lincoln County Process for this whiskey. An herbal note appears next in the form of sage followed by the tart sweetness of raisins and dried currants. At this point, the soapy chemicals rear their head again. This time, however, they’re a bit more generic than on the nose and not quite as distracting. Finally, wood resin also factors into the mix. On the whole, the palate exudes a crisp dryness that feels unique in a whiskey profile. It rather approximates the sensation of a dry white chardonnay bordering on brandy and leaves more questions than answers as a result. Namely, how do they actually make this whiskey?

Finish

As 1884 makes its exit, it revisits the chemicals that plagued it throughout. A soapiness peaks through again, followed by citrusy wood polish. Some earthy peat does appear that provides enough levity to distract momentarily from then chemicals. However, it doesn’t last long as 1884 ultimately rides out on a sharp chemical spill. While the nose and palate jostle with these unappetizing chemical flavors throughout and sometimes even overcome them, the finish unfortunately succumbs to their corruption.

Drinkability

Drink 1884 Small Batch neat. Ice and water bring the dry white grape wine nature to the forefront but it feels aggressively unleashed as opposed to pleasantly highlighted. Maple accompanies it as an afterthought, and earns a mere footnote. This whiskey feels suitable for arguing with someone you don’t know about a subject that know nothing about and forgetting why the argument even started.

Food Pairing

Braised beef roast with potatoes and carrots works well with 1884 Small Batch. The sharp, dry and sometimes sweet nature of this whiskey cuts through the homey, familiar yet satisfying flavors of the roast and adds some zest.

Facial Hair Rating

1884 Small Batch receives the Dali Facial Hair Rating. Smart, poignant, yet somehow irreverent the Dali captivates the imagination while also rousing confusion perhaps for the sake of confusion itself. A Warhol would have also worked here. Either way, the artist certainly provides inspiration. Though this generally generally comes in an abstract sense more than a practical one.

Overall

To conclude the Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch review – gambling with history. Look, the story of Nathan Green should be told and what better way than though a distillery honoring him. It’s a key piece of both whiskey history and legend. However, some actual background on how this whiskey is produced today should also be told. I scoured the website and found nary a note on 1884’s production. Throughout the tasting a question continually dogged me, namely is this ‘Tennessee Whiskey‘ or ‘whiskey made in Tennessee’? Does this whiskey actually share anything in common with Nathan Green’s whiskey beyond a nickname? It’s unclear by the website, and unfortunately this likely speaks volumes as to the answer. Beyond the questions, the whiskey itself holds it together at points bringing enough forward to draw interest. A decent nose and better palate overcome pervasive chemical notes which ultimately bury the finish. 1884 Small Batch is the cheapest option that Uncle Nearest currently produces. Perhaps the premium versions correct these issues. Either way, 1884 Small Batch is better story than whiskey at this point.

Final Grade: C

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