Uncle Nearest receivership battle intensifies

2:26 p.m. Sept. 16, 2025

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

Uncle Nearest, the whiskey brand that garnered national acclaim as a Black-owned business honoring the legacy of Nathan “Nearest” Green, may be headed toward bankruptcy as a federal receivership battle intensifies over which assets can be tapped to repay creditors.

New filings on Friday, Sept. 12, indicate that receiver Phillip G. Young Jr., appointed in August to oversee the financially strained company, has hired Newpoint Advisors Corporation, a firm specializing in distressed business turnarounds, often through bankruptcy. Young already has the court authority to commence bankruptcy proceedings for Uncle Nearest.

• Notice of Receiver’s Professionals
• Motion for Clarification of Receivership Order

The filings also reveal a growing legal fight over the reach of the receivership. Farm Credit Mid-America, a Kentucky-based lender, sued Uncle Nearest, its affiliated Nearest Green Distillery, and founders Fawn and Keith Weaver in July, alleging they defaulted on more than $100 million in loans and overstated the value of whiskey barrels pledged as collateral by at least $24 million. The company reportedly owes Farm Credit more than $108 million.

The Weavers deny wrongdoing and contend they were victims of fraud perpetrated by a former executive. But Farm Credit has questioned Weaver-related purchases, including a cognac distillery in France and a home in Martha’s Vineyard. To help sort out international and domestic assets, Young has hired several law firms, including one in France for the cognac property and another in Massachusetts for the Vineyard estate.

Dispute Over Related Entities

In his most recent motion, Young asked U.S. District Judge Charles E. Atchley Jr. for clarification on which Weaver-affiliated entities fall under the receivership. According to court filings, at least a dozen companies with apparent financial or operational ties to Uncle Nearest may be in question, including:

• Uncle Nearest Real Estate Holdings LLC – listed in the original complaint but omitted from the judge’s order.

• Shelbyville Barrel House BBQ LLC – believed to be owned by Keith Weaver and operating from the distillery property.

• Humble Baron Inc. – a Delaware corporation tied to a blind trust that runs a restaurant on the distillery site.

• Grant Sidney Inc. – owned by Fawn Weaver, the largest shareholder in Uncle Nearest.

• Quill and Cask Owner, Nashwood Inc., Shelbyville Grand LLC, Weaver Interwoven Family Foundation, Classic Hops Brewing Co., and 4 Park Street LLC – entities believed to have overlapping financial links to Uncle Nearest and the Weavers.

“Based on conversations with Fawn and Keith Weaver, the receiver expects them to argue that these other entities and their assets should be beyond the scope of this receivership,” Young’s filing states.

A Brand in Turmoil

The developments mark a stunning turn for Uncle Nearest, launched in 2017 as a tribute to Nathan Green, a formerly enslaved distiller credited with teaching Jack Daniel his craft. The brand quickly rose to prominence, celebrated for its story and rapid growth in the spirits industry.

Now, with a receiver in place, multiple law firms engaged, and millions in debt at stake, the company’s future could hinge on whether the court expands the receivership to encompass Weaver-controlled entities – or whether Uncle Nearest proceeds into bankruptcy.

Judge Atchley has not yet ruled on the receiver’s motion for clarification.