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Uncle Nearest 1856 vs Bulleit Bourbon
Uncle Nearest 1856 and Bulleit Bourbon sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a blender-built, classically built bottling versus a sourced, rye-forward blend.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Uncle Nearest 1856 | Bulleit Bourbon |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Tennessee Whiskey | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | 68% corn, 28% rye, 4% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) +10 proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$25 – $32 ~$34 less |
- Uncle Nearest 1856 does 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.
Bulleit Bourbon
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Uncle Nearest 1856 Bulleit Bourbon
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
sweetness 7/5 sweetness: Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10, Bulleit Bourbon 5 out of 10
spice 5/7 spice: Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10, Bulleit Bourbon 7 out of 10
oak 7/5 oak: Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10, Bulleit Bourbon 5 out of 10
heat 5/4 heat: Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10, Bulleit Bourbon 4 out of 10
nuttiness 4/3 nuttiness: Uncle Nearest 1856 4 out of 10, Bulleit Bourbon 3 out of 10
fruit 5/5 fruit: Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10, Bulleit Bourbon 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The clearest split is how sweet each one drinks.
- 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.
- Bulleit Bourbon: The bottle that put high-rye bourbon in every cocktail bar in the country. Peppery and dry with the familiar MGP dill note, and it earns its place behind the bar more than in a glass on its own.
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 with more proof behind it.
- Go with Bulleit Bourbon if you want a dry, peppery, high-rye bourbon built for cocktails and available absolutely everywhere at a significantly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Uncle Nearest 1856); old-fashioned, cocktails, highball (Bulleit Bourbon).