Nearest Green Distillery — Attraction in Shelbyville

A Must-Do Experience: Taste of History Tour at Nearest Green Distillery

If you're looking for an extraordinary whiskey experience that combines history, craftsmanship, and hands-on learning, the Taste of History tour at Nearest Green Distillery is an absolute must. As one of the first guests to experience this new tour offering, I can confidently say it's worth every penny.

From the moment you step onto the breathtaking grounds in Shelbyville, TN, you're transported into the rich world of Tennessee whiskey.

Our exceptional tour guides, Jason and Julie, weren't just guides – they were masters of their craft, bringing to life the fascinating history of whiskey-making in Shelbyville and Lynchburg with their extensive knowledge and infectious enthusiasm.

The tour is thoughtfully designed to immerse you in every aspect of whiskey-making. You'll explore the perfectly manicured grounds, learn the intricate distillation process, and venture through the impressive barrel house, where you'll discover the crucial role these wooden vessels play in crafting the perfect spirit. What sets this tour apart is the guides' willingness to dive deep – no question goes unanswered, and their expertise shines through in every detailed explanation.

The experience reaches its peak in the Corporate office, where an expertly arranged tasting awaits. Here's where the magic really happens. We had the privilege of sampling some exceptional spirits, including the distillery-exclusive Uncle Nearest Toasted Single Barrel (121.7 proof) – a rare treat with fewer than 20 bottles remaining from the batch. The tasting also featured the robust Uncle Nearest Single Barrel (124.1 proof) and the special Master Blend Edition, another distillery exclusive.

But the true highlight? Getting to blend our own whiskey after watching an inspiring video featuring Victoria Eady Butler, the great-great-granddaughter of Nearest Green, the first known African American master distiller AND the Master Blender at the distillery!! This hands-on experience takes your appreciation of the craft to a whole new level.

The distillery campus offers more than just whiskey. We wrapped up our day at the Barrel House BBQ, one of the on-site restaurants, where the food was nothing short of exceptional. My three-meat plate and my husband's "grilled cheese on crack" with pulled chicken were perfect endings to an already incredible day. While we didn't dine at The Hubble Barron bar, it's worth noting that it houses America's longest bar and adds another layer of grandeur to the property.

Pro Tips: *Book the Taste of History tour in advance – it's new and sure to become popular

*Come hungry and plan to eat at Barrel House BBQ

*Allow plenty of time to explore the beautiful grounds

*Don't miss the exclusive distillery-only bottles available for purchase

The Nearest Green Distillery isn't just another whiskey tour – it's a journey through history, craftsmanship, and flavor that you won't soon forget.

Jason and Julie's passion for Tennessee whiskey and the Nearest Green legacy makes this experience truly special. While the tour may be a premium offering, the unique blend of education, entertainment, and hands-on experience makes it an outstanding value. If you're anywhere near Nashville or planning a trip to the area, put this tour at the top of your...

I’ve done numerous tours from distilleries all around the south. We did the whiskey thieving tour and I’m not really sure what happened. I thought the history of the master distiller was great, but then we focused on tiny dancer horses or something. We were walking on their graves. Million dollar horses. Gravestones for horses. Parades for horses. The distillery is a check point for the horse parade. It just felt like the tour was more focused on tiny dancer horses than whiskey.

A 90 min experience and I know more about these horses than your whiskey. In 90 mins horses were brought up at least 15 times and not once was a mash bill, aging, or different lines mentioned, NOT ONCE.

Unfortunately the entire tour was a pretty big let down.

Pros The facility is beautiful Gift shop top notch Everyone was very nice

Cons Price. 80 bucks after tax for a whiskey tour that allows you to sample two whiskey’s (one of which is distilled in Canada and aged in upstate New York) is a steep price to pay for a tour that is miles behind the competition. Doing a tour tomorrow at Heaven Hill and it includes four whiskeys to try, a tour, and access to a museum for 25 dollars. They gotta add to the tour or drop the price cause it’s outrageous for what you get. Several of the buildings are either closed or not included in the tour. This is a working distillery, get your tour guides some bullhorns or loudspeakers, something. Again for the price, I shouldn’t have to fight to hear what she’s saying. They have the world’s largest bar and it’s not open. Just bring in a bar tender to have the option and showcase the bar. We couldn’t even get to it, doors were locked. No food or drinks available. Only distillery I’ve been to where there were no food or drink options. Literally only thing was a water fountain. The excuse of its closed today is nonsense. If everything is closed then why are they selling 80 dollar tours showcasing the place. Enough about the tiny dancing horses. I want to know about mash bills, ingredients, aging, production, processing, cooperage, distribution, tasting notes (no Smokey is not a tasting note that’s a flavor) most importantly just talk about the whiskey.

Overall I cannot recommend the tour and I hope that someone at Uncle Nearest will take the feedback to heart instead of getting upset that a guest called it out. But the only way to get better is to listen to the people you want to sell your whiskey too. And fwiw I thought the 5 year single barrel was fantastic. The rye not so much, but they have the ability to really capitalize in the market and gain that repeat business. But again just can’t overlook that 80 dollar price tag on a 20...

My dad and I share a love of bourbon, so we took a Spring Break Daddy-Daughter Trip to Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville, TN.

The sense of Black Pride I felt while on the grounds was indescribable. Fawn Weaver has done an immaculate job of preserving the historical aspect (content, buildings, etc.) while expanding the grounds and the overall Uncle Nearest brand. Karen was our tour guide, and she provided the most amazing tour I have ever experienced. She’s only worked there for a little less than 1 year, but still managed to have a wealth of knowledge to share with us. Her family is originally from the area, so she interspersed lived experiences with the history of the brand, grounds, and the story of how Uncle Nearest came to be one of the most dominant brands in the history of American spirits. Everything she shared enhanced the tour, and it didn’t help that she did it all with the thickest Southern drawl anyone has ever heard LOL. I simply cannot say enough good things about the experience Karen provided for us. You expect employees to speak well of their employers, but it was a treat to hear the way Karen celebrated Fawn (the CEO) and Victoria Eady Butler (the Master Blender). It was beautiful and made me proud to be a Black woman.

One of the things I really appreciated is Karen started the tour by telling us not to take any videos to preserve the sacredness of the tour for future visitors. We were allowed to take tons of pictures, but they do ask that video footage isn’t shared to ensure everyone can have the experience of a lifetime – just like my dad and I did. We toured the warehouse with all the barrels and even got to see some of the workers bottling a special batch. We even saw the labels being affixed to the bottles by hand!

The toured ended with the highly-anticipated tasting in their super-stylish tasting room in a converted stable that was previously used to cool down the horses (you know – 1 of those round rooms where horses walk around in a circle underneath blowing fans). We sampled Nearest Green, Uncle Nearest 1884, Uncle Nearest 1856, and Uncle Nearest Master Blend Edition. Dad and I left with a bottle of the 1856 and the Master Blend Edition. And guess who rang us up in the gift shop after the tour? Yep, Karen! She does it all, and with so much grace and hospitality. The gift shop had a package with 6 bottles for $625, and we totally would have opted for it had we been driving instead of flying, or if we had larger luggage.

This tour was definitely one for the books. Thank you, Karen and Nearest Green Distillery, for showing this daughter and her dad a fantastic time. We...