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- Uncle Nearest 1856 and Penelope Four Grain do not publish an official mash bill.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