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Uncle Nearest 1856 vs Booker’s
Put Uncle Nearest 1856 next to Booker’s and you have a blender-built, corn-forward bottling set against an uncut, high-rye heavyweight.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Uncle Nearest 1856 | Booker’s |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Tennessee Whiskey | High-Rye Bourbon, Barrel Proof |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 7 years |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 125 proof (62.5% ABV) +25 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 ~$35 less | ~$85 – $110 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Limited |
- Uncle Nearest 1856 and Booker’s do not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Uncle Nearest 1856
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Booker’s
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Uncle Nearest 1856 Booker’s
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
heat 5/10 heat: Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10, Booker’s 10 out of 10
nuttiness 4/8 nuttiness: Uncle Nearest 1856 4 out of 10, Booker’s 8 out of 10
spice 5/7 spice: Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10, Booker’s 7 out of 10
oak 7/8 oak: Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10, Booker’s 8 out of 10
fruit 5/4 fruit: Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10, Booker’s 4 out of 10
sweetness 7/7 sweetness: Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10, Booker’s 7 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
These two land very differently on the palate for heat.
- 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.
- Booker’s: Uncut, unfiltered Beam at batch strength, and the most concentrated expression of the house peanut-and-oak character. Enormous and hot, with a finish that goes on well past where you expect it to stop.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Uncle Nearest 1856 if you want a sweet, maple-forward Tennessee whiskey with a story worth knowing behind it at a significantly lower price point.
- Go with Booker’s if you want the Beam house style at full power and you have water on the table with significantly more proof behind it and with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Uncle Nearest 1856); neat (Booker’s).