Known as Uncle Nearest, Nathan "Nearest" Green, is acknowledged as the first African-American master distiller on record in the United States. A formerly enslaved man, Green taught a young Jack Daniels the craft of distilling and served as the first master distiller – formerly called "head stiller" – for the Jack Daniel Distillery as a free man after the Civil War.  The Uncle Nearest Whiskey brand was launched in July 2017 by Fawn Weaver, an African American, female entrepreneur who took it upon herself to learn more about Uncle Nearest by bringing together historians, archeologists, genealogists, and conservators.

This inaugural whiskey, Uncle Nearest 1856 is a premium blend bottled at 100 proof. It has won over 125 awards since its debut in 2017 including, ‘Best American Whiskey’ from the New Orleans World Bourbon Festival and ‘World’s Best’ from the World Whiskies Awards. Uncle Nearest is astonishingly smooth, and can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or in your favorite whiskey or bourbon cocktail.