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Uncle Nearest 1856 vs Redemption Bourbon
Uncle Nearest 1856 and Redemption 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 | Redemption Bourbon |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Tennessee Whiskey | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) +16 proof | 84 proof (42% 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.
Redemption Bourbon
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Uncle Nearest 1856 Redemption Bourbon
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 7/4 oak: Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10, Redemption Bourbon 4 out of 10
sweetness 7/5 sweetness: Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10, Redemption Bourbon 5 out of 10
spice 5/7 spice: Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10, Redemption Bourbon 7 out of 10
heat 5/3 heat: Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10, Redemption Bourbon 3 out of 10
nuttiness 4/3 nuttiness: Uncle Nearest 1856 4 out of 10, Redemption Bourbon 3 out of 10
fruit 5/5 fruit: Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10, Redemption Bourbon 5 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.
- Redemption Bourbon: Straightforward sourced MGP at a modest proof, and about as clear a reference sample of the high-rye MGP profile as you can buy. Thin neat, but a reliable and inexpensive cocktail base.
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 Redemption Bourbon if you want an inexpensive, unambiguous example of the MGP high-rye style for mixing at a significantly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Uncle Nearest 1856); old-fashioned, cocktails, highball (Redemption Bourbon).