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Penelope Four Grain vs Uncle Nearest 1856
Penelope Four Grain and Uncle Nearest 1856 sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a blender-built, classically built bottling versus a sourced, classically built blend.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Penelope Four Grain | Uncle Nearest 1856 |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Four-Grain Bourbon | Traditional Tennessee Whiskey |
| Mash Bill 1 | 74% corn, 7% rye, 16% wheat, 3% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 80 proof (40% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +20 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$30 – $40 ~$28 less | ~$55 – $70 |
- Penelope Four Grain and Uncle Nearest 1856 do not publish an official mash bill.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
Penelope Four Grain
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Uncle Nearest 1856
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Penelope Four Grain Uncle Nearest 1856
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 3/7 oak: Penelope Four Grain 3 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10
heat 2/5 heat: Penelope Four Grain 2 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10
spice 3/5 spice: Penelope Four Grain 3 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10
sweetness 6/7 sweetness: Penelope Four Grain 6 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10
fruit 5/5 fruit: Penelope Four Grain 5 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10
nuttiness 4/4 nuttiness: Penelope Four Grain 4 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- Penelope Four Grain: A light, low-proof blend of corn, wheat, rye and barley. Honey, almond and orchard fruit keep it sweet and easy, though it reads young and thin when sipped neat.
- 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 Penelope Four Grain if you want an easy, light, honeyed bourbon that mixes well 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 highball, cocktails (Penelope Four Grain); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Uncle Nearest 1856).