Uncle Nearest 777 Anniversary Blend - The Lost Chapter Tennessee Whisky Review

 

In 1820, “Nearest” Green was born into slavery and was the property of Reverend Daniel Call of Lynchburg, Tennessee. Call was busy running a grocery store and a still when he wasn't preaching. At some point, he taught young Nearest how to work the still.

 

Nearest was a great student and soon became the nation’s first black master distiller. Call suggested that Nearest made the best whisky of anyone around. In fact, that’s what Call told a 9-year-old Jack Daniel when he approached Call with questions about whisky making. And, so, Uncle Nearest, as he was called, taught Jack what he knew.

 

Uncle Nearest was one of the developers of The Lincoln County Process (LCP), which is the component that makes Tennessee Whisky Tennessee Whisky. The LCP involves filtering the whisky through a stack of sugar maple charcoal, which mellows and softens it.

 

When the Emancipation Proclamation was signed and the enslaved people were freed, Uncle Nearest continued to work for Reverend Call. A year later, in 1865, Jack Daniel opened his distillery, and his first two employees, George and Eli, were sons of Uncle Nearest. The cool thing is seven generations of Greens have worked at Jack Daniel’s!

 

Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey has been on my must-try list for a while. Founded in nearby Shelbyville by Fawn Weaver in 2017, Uncle Nearest is the fastest-growing whisky brand in the United States. The distillery welcomes about a quarter million visitors each year. Its whiskies, some of which are made from in-house distillate, have earned a plethora of awards.

 

Weaver partnered with Victoria Eady Butler, who is not only the distillery’s master blender but also a fifth-generation descendant of Uncle Nearest. She was also named Master Blender of the Year by Whisky Magazine. Not once, not twice, but four times! She was the first to win the award back-to-back.

 

Today, we’re exploring Uncle Nearest 777 Anniversary Blend – The Lost Chapter. The name is inspired by Weaver’s book, Love & Whiskey. It is a seven-year-old, barrel-proof Tennessee Whisky. The mashbill is undisclosed; a 750ml of Batch 007 is packaged at 60.85% ABV (121.7°) with a suggested price of $129.99. It also comes with a copy of Love & Whiskey.

 

Before I dive into this Tennessee Whisky, I must thank Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey for providing me with a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #Drinkcurious!

 

Appearance: I poured this whisky into my Glencairn glass to sip neat. It had the color of caramel; it formed a medium rim with slow, crazed legs.

 

Nose: The aroma included plums, baked apples, leather, tobacco, and muted oak. I drew the vapor through my lips, and it tasted of brown sugar inside my mouth.

 

Palate: The 777 Anniversary Blend possessed a soft yet weighty texture. The front of my palate encountered caramel, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Midway through, I found maple syrup, cinnamon, and tobacco leaf. Flavors of black pepper, very dry oak, and leather rounded the back.

 

Finish: Spicy right from the gate, the finish featured black pepper, cinnamon, dry oak, tobacco, vanilla, and a brief kiss of candied orange slices. I timed the duration at 1:36, placing it in the long category.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Uncle Nearest’s 777 Anniversary Blend – The Lost Chapter is full of depth and flavor. It is full of notes, sweet and spicy. It drinks at about its stated proof; no one will confuse it with something watered down. Butler did a marvelous job selecting these barrels, and I cannot imagine anyone being anything but thrilled if they purchased a Bottle – which you should do. As for me, I’m darned curious about what other Uncle Nearest expressions taste like. Cheers!   

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.