Vital stats: Mash bill of 90% corn and rye with at least some of the remainder being malted corn, all from Tennessee farms, according to Uncle Nearest. Filtered with Maple charcoal via the Lincoln County Process and aged in charred, new American Oak barrels for an undisclosed time. Bottled at 50% ABV and sold for about $58 per bottle.

Appearance: Sold in a plain and tall but still elegant bottle. Both in that bottle and poured in a glass, it has a bronze quality with a hint of red to it that makes it a hair darker than average.

Nose: A sniff initially brings in a rich, molasses-like sweetness through the nasal passages. That quickly gives way to an earthier bouquet of grass, charcoal, and nutmeg, and a touch of maple adding a bit of sweetness.

Palate: Like with the nose, Uncle Nearest enters the palate with a rich and smooth character, this time with more of a caramel flavor with distant notes of apple and hay. That sweetness lingers for a moment before again yielding to a spicier mixture of clove, nutmeg, charcoal, and oak, while also retaining a touch of the hay flavor. That spiciness builds up quickly into something akin to a chili pepper in the mouth, but with a corn- and grass-like sweetness keeping it in control. Swallowing sends rush of that spice throughout the mouth, which quickly fades into a rich, creamy caramel that hangs in the mouth for another minute or so – with a bit of corn and hay giving it character and occasionally punctuated by pleasantly spicy tingles.