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Old Forester 1870 Original Batch vs Uncle Nearest 1856
Old Forester 1870 Original Batch and Uncle Nearest 1856 sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus a sourced, classically built blend.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Old Forester 1870 Original Batch | Uncle Nearest 1856 |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Tennessee Whiskey |
| Mash Bill 1 | 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +10 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$45 – $55 ~$13 less | ~$55 – $70 |
- Uncle Nearest 1856 does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Old Forester 1870 Original Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Uncle Nearest 1856
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Old Forester 1870 Original Batch Uncle Nearest 1856
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 5/7 oak: Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 5 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10
heat 3/5 heat: Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 3 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10
nuttiness 2/4 nuttiness: Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 2 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 4 out of 10
spice 4/5 spice: Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 4 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10
fruit 6/5 fruit: Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 6 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10
sweetness 7/7 sweetness: Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 7 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- Old Forester 1870 Original Batch: The first bottle in Old Forester's Whiskey Row Series, recreating the founder's habit of blending barrels from three warehouses. It is the lightest of the series, caramel sweet and easy.
- Uncle Nearest 1856: Named for Nathan 'Nearest' Green, the enslaved distiller who taught Jack Daniel, and now backed by the brand's own distillery in Shelbyville. Sweet and maple-leaning with the charcoal-mellowed softness of the style.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Old Forester 1870 Original Batch if you want the gentlest, most easygoing pour in the Whiskey Row Series at a lower price point.
- Go with Uncle Nearest 1856 if you want a sweet, maple-forward Tennessee whiskey with a story worth knowing behind it with more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, highball (Old Forester 1870 Original Batch); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Uncle Nearest 1856).