Nathan Green 1870 UPDATE

Labels from the TTB Online COLA Registry

Just a quick update on the Nathan Green 1870 Premium Whiskey from Uncle Nearest. I reached out to the distillery and haven’t heard anything back yet. But I did hear from Fawn Weaver, the CEO and co-founder of Uncle Nearest, on Instagram. She was kind enough to let me know that since this is cask strength, the proof for each barrel will vary. Even though they got the label approval on January 14, according to Ms. Weaver, “it is not releasing soon. We just got our labels approved for when we do release it later this year.” She also went on to say, “What I will say is we like to drop special gifts for our whiskey family on our bday. Last year it was 1884. Who knows what it will be this year…”? Could she be hinting at a possible July release? When I informed her that I had reached out to her assistant for more information, I had to laugh at one of my favorite responses ever. “I am the only one that has that… and my lips are sealed!” Ms. Weaver replied.

So, it looks like we will have to wait for more information from Uncle Nearest about the 1870. But thank you Fawn for what information you did give us. Oh, and sorry for letting the cat out of the bag. Apparently when I posted the labels on Instagram, her social media manager reached out asking. I posted it before she had a chance to announce it internally. Umm… my bad! While we all wait, make sure you check out one of Uncle Nearest's earlier releases. Grab a bottle of 1856, 1884 or 1820 and raise a glass to Nathan "Uncle Nearest" Green (and Fawn Weaver) who made them all possible.

Until next time,

Old Charter Oak Chinkapin Oak

On December 6, 2018, Buffalo Trace announced their first release in the Old Charter Oak series, Old Charter Oak Mongolian Oak. Since then they have released Old Charter Oak French Oak (Spring 2019) and Old Charter Oak Canadian Oak (Fall 2019). Now it appears they may be about ready for the next release in the series, Old Charter Oak Chinkapin Oak.

Labels from the TTB Online COLA Registry

As of this post, I don’t really have much information on this release other than the label which I found on the TTB Online COLA Registry. I have reached out to Buffalo Trace to see if they can provide any information and I will update you here if I hear anything.

A Chinkapin Oak (photo courtesy of arborday.org)

Since we don’t know much about the release, let’s look at the chinkapin oak. According to arborday.org,

“the chinkapin oak is also commonly referred to as a yellow chestnut oak, rock oak or yellow oak. Early pioneers used its straight wood to make thousands of miles of fences in the states of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. Later on, the trees were used to fuel the steamships that ran from Pittsburgh to New Orleans. They were also used as railroad ties for the new railroads that crisscrossed the Midwest.”

 Native to the Chicago area, the chinkapin oak can also be found in the central and eastern United States.

Unfortunately, that is all I really know at this time but I will post an update if I learn any new information. Until then,

I'm Back and Nathan Green 1870

That's right bourbonites and meaders, I'm back. Sorry for the long absence but it was unavoidable. I’ve been battling some very serious health issues and I’m still not over them but I am going to try to get this place back up and running. So hopefully I will be able to regularly update the blog and keep you entertained with news from the bourbon and mead world.

If you have read any of the previous posts, you know that I really like Uncle Nearest Tennessee Whiskey. I have reviewed a couple of their expressions on here and even talked about another release (which I will review also). Well folks, I couldn’t think of a better way to kick the blog back off than to tell you that the Nearest Green Distillery is preparing to release a new expression. This distillery only release is a cask strength (114.8 proof/57.4% ABV) 15-year Tennessee Whiskey called Nathan Green 1870 Tennessee Whiskey.

Labels courtesy of the TTB Online COLA Registry

As of this post, I do not know when this release will be available at the distillery and I also don’t know of any tasting notes. But rest assured, I will do my best to find out as much as I can and whatever I find out I will post here and on social media.

Until the next time, 

Quick Update & New Logo

Just wanted to give you a quick update, I'm still dealing with my health situation but hopefully I will be back soon. Since I have nothing but time on my hands right now, I figured I might as well go ahead and start blogging again so I will probably start posting again next week. But until then, I thought I would share my new logo with you so here it is. 

Well I say new, I've been using it on my Instagram and Twitter accounts for a couple of months now. I hope you enjoy it! Until next time, stay meady and drink more bourbon!

Uncle Nearest Announces Uncle Nearest 1884 Premium Small Batch Whiskey

Super Premium Small Batch Offering Honors Namesake Nearest Green's Legacy Through His Descendants

 

SHELBYVILLE, Tenn., July 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, the super premium whiskey from Tennessee and the first spirit brand in history to commemorate an African-American, is excited to announce the launch of Uncle Nearest 1884 Premium Small Batch Whiskey. The brand revived the little-known story of Nathan "Nearest" Green, the first known African-American master distiller, back in 2017, and launched a namesake whiskey in his honor that has since won 40 awards and expanded into all 50 states and 10 countries (with shipping available to 148 countries). The brand can now be found in nearly 6,000 stores, bars and restaurants. A 7-year-old minimum whiskey, Uncle Nearest 1884 commemorates the final year Nearest is believed to have put his own whiskey into barrels before retiring from distilling.

Photo courtesy of Uncle Nearest

Uncle Nearest 1884 is unique in taste and curation while celebrating Nearest's legacy. The barrels used to create each batch are selected by Fawn Weaver, CEO and co-founder of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, to ensure each bottle contains a blend of the highest-quality liquid, maintaining Uncle Nearest's signature smoothness. The release of this particular offering honors Nearest's memory through his family's personal involvement in the blending process, with each batch curated by a different descendant of the legendary master distiller and the back label of each bottle signed by the descendant who created that batch. The first bottles hitting shelves are curated by Victoria Eady-Butler, great-great-granddaughter of Nearest, shareholder of Uncle Nearest and its Director of Administration.

 

"If my great-great-grandfather were alive today, I know how proud he would be to see us keeping his legacy alive through the continued growth of this brand," said Victoria Eady-Butler. "When Fawn first agreed to shine a light on our ancestor by putting his name on a bottle, we never could have imagined where Uncle Nearest would be two years later, with people around the world knowing the name Nearest Green. I speak for our entire family when I say we're thrilled to be a part of his legacy."

The small batch offering is a fresh departure from the whiskey brand's other products, while still utilizing the elements that made Nearest's whiskey so renowned. Uncle Nearest 1884 is lighter bodied, allowing it to be sipped by those who prefer a lower proof spirit. The bright off-white and gold label stands out on the shelf against its darker labeled counterparts and at $49.99 SRP, 1884 is the most accessible of Uncle Nearest's super premium product line to-date without straying from the spirit's premier quality and taste. 1884 is bottled at 93-proof, another nod to Nearest, as it is believed his whiskey was bottled at or near that proof.

"We set out to cement Nearest's legacy and to ensure his contributions to the Tennessee Whiskey industry would never again be forgotten," said Fawn Weaver. "With every bottle containing the signature of the descendant who created it, Nearest's family is picking up where he left off. More than one million glasses of Uncle Nearest have been raised around the world in salute of this great innovator. This ensures millions more will be raised over the next year."

The first batch of Uncle Nearest 1884 debuted exclusively on July 19, 2019 at Tales of the Cocktail, the world's premier cocktail festival, in New Orleans, Louisiana during a conversation on "Kentucky Bourbon vs. Tennessee Whiskey: Battle of the Premiums," led by Weaver. The new whiskey was met with high regard by all who tasted it, with respected writer G. Clay Whittaker encapsulating the sentiment best: "At 7 years of age, it's already a modern value bottle at that price, not to mention that the whiskey inside is one of the most refined crowd-pleasers we've tasted this year." The release date also marked the two-year anniversary since the launch of the Uncle Nearest brand and the release of its first expression, Uncle Nearest 1856, rounding out the company's portfolio of super premium whiskeys.

Product Details:Uncle Nearest 1884 Premium Small Batch Whiskey
SRP: $49.99
Proof: 93

For more information on Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, visit www.unclenearest.com, and follow @unclenearest on Instagram and Facebook.

About Uncle Nearest Premium WhiskeyUncle Nearest Premium Whiskey is inspired by the best whiskey-maker the world never knew, the first African-American master distiller on record in the United States, Nathan "Nearest" Green. The Uncle Nearest brand, wholly owned by Uncle Nearest, Inc., encompasses a premium aged whiskey, an 11-year-old single barrel product, and a 7-year-old small batch offering, all distilled, aged, bottled and hand-labeled in Tennessee.

Uncle Nearest is an award-winning spirit, garnering 40 awards since its July 2017 debut, including being one of two brands named "World's Best" at Whisky Magazine's 2019 World Whiskies Awards, and earning a Best of Class - Platinum and Double Gold Medal at the 2019 SIP Awards, a Chairman's Trophy at the 2019 Ultimate Beverage Challenge, a Double Gold Medal at the 2018 China Wine & Spirits Awards, Gold Medals at the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and 2018 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, as well as two Gold Medals at the 2018 Los Angeles International Spirits Competition. Cigar & Spirits Magazine has also named Uncle Nearest one of the "Top 5 Whiskies in the World." For more information please visit the Uncle Nearest website, and follow on Instagram and Facebook.

DRINK HONORABLY™ © 2019 Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey | Alcohol 46.5% Volume (93 proof)

SOURCE Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey

Related Links

https://www.unclenearest.com

Quick update

Sorry I’ve been M.I.A., but I’ve been battling some serious health issues that have kept me out of commission lately. I really want to be on here more and as soon as I am healthy enough to resume normal daily activities, I will start posting here regularly again. Until then, I ask that you bear with me.  Thank you for understanding and until then, drink some bourbon and mead for me. Cheers!!  

Caught on COLA - Mead

Hey there, fellow meaders! What it bee? Get it, bee? As in honey bee? Umm, yeah that was a bad attempt at a dad joke since we just had Father's Day and all. I'm sorry. Uh, yeah, let's just get on with the COLA snooping shall we?

Up first is a mead from the Garagiste, well that's not exactly true. Up first, second, third and fourth are meads from Garagiste Meadery out of Florida. The first three seem to be riffs off the same mead. It looks like they took a traditional mead made from Meadowfoam Blossom honey and ran it dry to give us our first label. 

Our second mead is another traditional mead made from Meadowfoam Blossom honey but this one was aged on oak for additional flavoring.

The third Garagiste mead is once again a traditional Meadowfoam Blossom but this one was either stopped short or backsweetened to give us a semisweet mead. Now all three of these meads are bottled at 14% ABV in 375 ml bottles.

The final mead from Garagiste Meadery is Marshmallow Vitis. This unusually named mead is a grape mead with natural flavors and caramel color added. I am assuming with the name that there is some flavor of marshmallow in the mix (perhaps from using Meadowfoam Blossom honey?). Like the other meads, this one is bottled at 14% ABV as well. As of this time, there is no mention of any of these meads on the Garagiste website yet. However, the Semi Meadowfoam was released a few years ago at 13% ABV and won a few awards.

Up next is Wisconsin's Duck Creek Vineyard who have decided to add to their wine list and bring us Duck Creek Ancient Orange. This semi-sweet blood orange mead will be bottled at 12% ABV. As of now though, there is no mention on the vineyard's website of the mead's release.

Take lemonade, pomegranate and lavender and mix it with a citrus mead and what do you get? How about Hierophant Meadery's Lavender Lemonade Meadmosa? This refreshingly carbonated mead comes in at 8.4% ABV and is available in 500 ml bottles. Though I did see a lavender citrus mead available on their website, I didn't see this particular mead available yet.

The final label comes from Moonlight Meadery and is part of their Heather Blossom releases. The Apple Heather Blossom is double barrel aged for six years then bottled at 14% ABV. If the previous Heather Blossom releases are any indication, this release is probably going to be going around the $120-130 range for a 375 ml bottle. There is no mention yet on there website but it will probably be posted soon.

Well, that's all that's buzzing! So, until next time, drink more mead!