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Penelope Rio vs Uncle Nearest 1856
Put Penelope Rio next to Uncle Nearest 1856 and you have a blender-built, corn-forward bottling set against a sourced, corn-forward blend.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Penelope Rio | 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 | 98 proof (49% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +2 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$80 – $100 | ~$55 – $70 ~$28 less |
| Availability | Limited | Widely available easier to find |
- 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
Penelope Rio
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Uncle Nearest 1856
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Penelope Rio Uncle Nearest 1856
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 4/7 oak: Penelope Rio 4 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10
sweetness 9/7 sweetness: Penelope Rio 9 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10
spice 6/5 spice: Penelope Rio 6 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10
fruit 6/5 fruit: Penelope Rio 6 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/4 nuttiness: Penelope Rio 3 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 4 out of 10
heat 5/5 heat: Penelope Rio 5 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- Penelope Rio: Penelope's four-grain blend finished in honey barrels and then amburana wood. It tastes like a cinnamon roll: honey, gingerbread and sweet baking spice.
- 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 Rio if you want a honey-and-amburana-finished bourbon that tastes like a cinnamon roll.
- Go with Uncle Nearest 1856 if you want a sweet, maple-forward Tennessee whiskey with a story worth knowing behind it at a lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (Penelope Rio); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Uncle Nearest 1856).