Shelbyville, Tenn.-based Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey announced that it will begin distribution of its highly sought-after Single Barrel Whiskey this fall. The rollout will kick off with Uncle Nearest’s Single Barrel Showdown: America’s Choice, an online public vote that puts the power in the hands of whiskey fans across the country to determine which five states will be the first to receive Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Whiskey on shelves.
Currently, Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Whiskey is available to purchase only online and at Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville, Tenn.
Voting for the Single Barrel Showdown: America's Choice coincides with the sixth anniversary of the launch of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, and will take place through Aug. 2, the company notes. Those who cast their vote will automatically be entered to win a two night trip for two to Tennessee, complete with round trip transportation, a hotel stay in Nashville, and a tour and tasting at Nearest Green Distillery, it says.
“The members of our ‘Whiskey Family’ are some of the most devoted and dedicated fans of any spirit brand, and we know that they will show up in a big way for our Single Barrel Showdown,” said Katharine Jerkens, chief business officer for Uncle Nearest, in a statement. “We would not be where we are today — which is the fastest-growing American whiskey brand in U.S. history — without their support, and we look forward to having them decide where these coveted Single Barrel bottles will hit shelves first.”
Following the voting period, Uncle Nearest will announce the winning states as well as the winner of the contest in mid-August, it says. The winning territories will see Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Whiskey barrels arrive to market first and just in time for Sept. 5 ― a significant date for the whiskey brand as it marks the same date as the opening of Nearest Green Distillery in 2019, it notes.
Uncle Nearest first debuted its Single Barrel Whiskey in November 2022 at Nearest Green Distillery before becoming available for home delivery on ReserveBar.com. Since then, the whiskey has been met with critical acclaim, having recently earned a double platinum medal at the 2023 Ascot Awards, a gold medal at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and a critic’s score of 92 at the 2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge. Each barrel used for Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Whiskey is hand-selected by Victoria Eady Butler, a four-time Master Blender of the Year, and the great-great-granddaughter of Nearest Green, the company notes.
“The positive response to our Single Barrel Whiskey from both esteemed judges at spirits competitions and from those who have visited us at Nearest Green Distillery is overwhelming, and I know that we’re making Nearest so proud with every bottle of this whiskey,” Eady Butler said in a statement. “Our fans have been asking when we were finally going to bring it to shelves, and the wait is almost over. Like all of our other whiskeys, I have no doubt our partners will have a hard time keeping this Single Barrel in stock.”
All Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Whiskeys can be purchased for a suggested retail price of $89.99 a bottle, and are bottled at barrel strength, allowing for a unique flavor profile that varies from batch to batch, the company says. Like all of its filtered whiskeys, Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Whiskey goes through the distillery’s triple filtration process to remove any impurities, including the Lincoln County Process, the process of sugar maple filtration that Nearest Green is credited with helping to perfect, it notes.
To vote for which five states should be first to receive Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Whiskey, fans can visit, www.unclenearest.com/singlebarrelshowdown. Votes are limited to one per person, and voters must be 21 or older. No purchase is necessary to enter.
