Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch Whiskey is the expression hand-selected barrel by barrel by Victoria Eady Butler, master blender of Uncle Nearest and the great-great-granddaughter of Nathan Nearest Green himself. Her appointment made her the first known African American female master blender in the whiskey industry, and the 1884 bottling has gone on to win multiple Master Blender of the Year accolades at international spirits competitions.
Bottled at 93 proof (46.5% ABV), 1884 is the softer, more sessionable sibling to the 100-proof 1856. It is a Tennessee whiskey produced through the Lincoln County Process, filtered through sugar maple charcoal before bottling, and designed to show finesse rather than muscle.
The nose is immediately inviting — soft vanilla, golden honey, sweet corn and warm oak, with a gentle layer of stone fruit and a thread of milk chocolate beneath. On the palate it is smooth and approachable, leading with honeyed vanilla and butterscotch before unfolding into toasted grain, banana bread and a light dusting of baking spice. The 93 proof keeps everything supple, never hot, never heavy.
The finish is medium-length and gentle, sweet-leaning, with vanilla cream, soft oak tannin and a final lick of caramel. 1884 is the bottle you reach for when you want Tennessee character without the weight of high proof — it is polished, elegant and utterly drinkable. Victoria Eady Butler's hand is everywhere in it, and it stands as a quiet, confident tribute to the family legacy she has inherited.
