uncle nearest

Frizz and Bob pop a legacy bottle of Uncle Nearest that tells an incredible story you've probably never heard, while TLC has us getting Crazy, Sexy, AND Cool. We dish out all the details on how the biggest girl group had to fight for their next paycheck, loudly spoke out for women in the 90s, and we skip none of the interludes while praising their bold message of safe sex, AIDS awareness, and fighting stigmas in so many communities. 

Our guest this week is Victoria Eady Butler, Master Blender for Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey. Victoria had a rather unconventional path to the whiskey world, but her story is a great one and we were excited to have this opportunity. She’s honoring the legacy of her Great-Great-Grandfather in her role as the Master Blender of one of the top trending brands in American Whiskey. Uncle Nearest honors the world's first-known African American master distiller, Nearest Green. It was the first spirits brand in the world to be named after a Black American. Their portfolio is the Most Awarded Bourbon and American Whiskey of 2019, 2020 & 2021.  We were excited to feature Uncle Nearest and Victoria in this week’s episode.  We hope you enjoy! 

Stream this episode on your favorite podcast app and be sure to drop us a review while you’re there.

We are thankful for everyone who has supported us. A huge shoutout goes to our growing Patreon Community as well! We'd appreciate it if you can take the time to give us feedback on our podcast. If you enjoy our content, consider giving us a 5 star rating on your favorite podcast app, leave us a review, and tell a fellow bourbon lover about our show.

Follow  us @BourbonLens on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.  And please check out our Patreon to learn how you can support our endeavors, earn Bourbon Lens swag, be part of future barrel picks, and more. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please email us at Info@BourbonLens.com.

Check out our BourbonLens.com to read our blog posts, whiskey news, podcast archive, and details on our upcoming single barrel picks.

Cheers,
Scott and Jake
Bourbon Lens

About Victoria Eady Butler:

Victoria Eady Butler is a relatively new face in the spirits world, but whiskey is in her blood. The Great-Great-Granddaughter of Nearest Green. African-American master distiller on record, Butler is the Master Blender of the award-winning Unce Nearest Premium Whiskey. Victoria oversees the blending process of Uncle Nearest whiskeys as well as the selection of all 1820 Single Barrels. Butler also serves as a member of Uncle Nearests executive team and oversees the Nearest Green Foundation, a 501(s)(3) non-profit organization that provides scholarships to Nearest Green's descendants that is funded, in part, by the sales of Uncle Nearest whiskey. 

Butler blended the very first batch of 1884 Small Batch Whiskey, which launched in July 2019, and was appointed Master Blender in November 2019 after the immense success of the first two batches. Since then, Butler has taken many courses to hone her skills, including becoming an Executive Bourbon Steward through Stave & Thief Society in Louisville, KY, the first bourbon certification program recognized by the bourbon industry. 

Prior to joining the Uncle Nearest team in March 2019, Butler worked as an Analytical Manager with the Regional Organized Crime Information Center in Nashville, which she joined upon graduating Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. Butler had just retired from a more than 30-year tenure when Fawn Weaver, Co-Founder and CEO of Uncle Nearest, approached her about becoming involved in the Uncle Nearest brand. The opportunity to carry on her family legacy first-hand and to help to concrete Nearest's name in history was one that she couldn't pass up. 

Butler is a mother, grandmother and a Tennessee native, currently residing in Murfreesboro, TN located just 20 miles up the road from the current Nearest Green Distillery. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family and volunteering with several non-profit organizations. She's also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

Coverage of Uncle Nearest:

• The Top Trending American Whiskeys of 2022 per ‘Drinks International’ 
• Uncle Nearest Is Shaking Up the Spirits Realm - The Manual
• Uncle Nearest's Eady Butler Becomes First to Win Back to Back Master Blender of Year Awards - Fred Minnick
• Uncle Nearest and Jack Daniel's Partner to Support Black Distillers | VinePair
• How Fawn Weaver Created Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey From Hidden History
• All-female leadership team guides Uncle Nearest whiskey to historic growth
• WineMag.com - 5 Questions with Victoria Eady Butler of Uncle Nearest
• Q&A: Uncle Nearest whiskey blender to visit Columbus
• Uncle Nearest hits $100m in sales - The Spirits Business
• Uncle Nearest Releases New Rye Whiskey – Robb Report
• Black-Owned, Award Winning Whiskey Brand 'Uncle Nearest' Tops Esteemed Inc. 5000 List
• Uncle Nearest Rye - Story by David Levine for Malt Review

On this episode of Beyond Black History Month, we’re turning our attention towards the whiskey industry. Of the 2,000 distilleries in America only 1% are owned by Black entrepreneurs. Listen as host Femi Redwood explores why Black business owners are still struggling to get their feet in the door despite the drink owing its success to a single enslaved Black man.

Guests include Che Ramos, Nicole Young, Heidi Dillon and Kamuti Kiteme 

Producers: Jill Webb and Dempsey Pillot

Audio Engineer: Anddy Egan-Thorpe

Host and Managing Producer of Podcasts: Femi Redwood 

If you have a story idea - reach out to Femi on Twitter.

In this fascinating conversation with Victoria Eady Butler, Master Blender for Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, some of the topics we discuss include:

• How Victoria transitioned from a career in criminal justice fighting organized crime to her role as the Master Blender for Uncle Nearest, where she won back-to-back titles as Master Blender of the Year in 2021 and 2022.
• What happened when she teamed up with historian and Uncle Nearest CEO Fawn Weaver to unearth the living legacy of her great-great grandfather, Nathan “Nearest” Green who was touted during his lifetime as the best distiller in the region.
• The importance of the Lincoln County Process, which is the primary differentiator between Tennessee whiskey and bourbon, and which was perfected by Nearest as a signature production technique.
• Then, of course, we taste Uncle Nearest’s flagship product: 1884 Small Batch whiskey, which won Best American whiskey in 2021.
• We also investigate Victoria’s signature approach to blending, which involves specific techniques to protect her palate and ensure that she addresses the all-important “finish” of the whiskey.
• Along the way, we learn about the deeply important philanthropic work of the Nearest Green Foundation, why Tennessee Whiskey is “Bourbon plus one,” where you can go to drink at the longest bar in the world, and much, much more.

This episode is brought to you by Near Country Provisions. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic and want to enjoy ethically raised (and delicious) meat from local farmers delivered to your door every month, then you need Near Country in your life.

Head over to NearCountry.com and enter the code BARCART when you sign up for your subscription to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef in your first delivery.

On today's episode, Andrew and I explore our possible addictions to social media content over some Uncle Nearest whiskey. We also share our methods for pushing past the wall we hit while on long runs. Enjoy!

Side note: If you've received value from the show and are on board with the idea of helping it continue, I'd encourage you to support us via Patreon! You can do so via this link: patreon.com/persuasionschool . Starting this next Monday, all future Q&A episodes will only be available on Patreon!