A court date has been set for a dispute between Uncle Nearest and its lender.
Uncle Nearest is a whiskey brand that has attracted investor support and numerous customers since its 2017 founding by Fawn Weaver and her husband, Keith. The company honors the legacy of “Uncle Nearest” Green, the first known Black master distiller in the United States, who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey.
“…because Jack and his descendants made sure that they put it in the press, you got a picture where Jack is seen in the center position of the entire photo next to an African-American man,” Weaver told AFROTECH™ in February 2025. “They literally set it up where even if America tried to wipe out this Green family legacy, we wouldn’t be able to. And that, to me, is the story, as Africans in this country, we have along the way had people that were allies, that did stand up for us, that did do what was right.”
Uncle Nearest reportedly was on track to reach $100 million in sales in 2024 and became the fastest-growing whiskey brand, with a $1.1 billion valuation, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. However, the founders are no longer affiliated with Uncle Nearest after being terminated from their posts on June 1 by receiver Phillip G. Young Jr.
“While this decision was not made lightly, it has resulted in significantly less confusion among employees and vendors, and has made business operations significantly smoother,” Young wrote in a July 10 quarterly report.
Uncle Nearest has been under receivership since August 2025. The receivership was put in place after Uncle Nearest’s lender filed a lawsuit on July 28, 2025. The brand allegedly owed more than $108 million to the lender, per AFROTECH™. Uncle Nearest has reportedly defaulted on its loans since 2024, according to the Moore County Observer. The receivership was intended to protect the company’s assets and property tied to the debt.
Young is managing assets such as the Shelbyville, TN, distillery as well as real estate holdings, intellectual property, affiliated ventures, and Fawn Weaver’s investment firm Grant Sidney Inc., as AFROTECH™ previously reported.
U.S. District Judge Charles Atchley, who is overseeing the case, says Uncle Nearest’s debt is $207.9 million and that the company is “insolvent,” the outlet noted.
A pretrial court conference is scheduled for Oct. 11, 2027, at 3 p.m. in Chattanooga, TN. Before then, pretrial briefs must be filed by Oct. 5, the Moore County Observer reports. Final trial information should be submitted by Sept. 7, 2027. Motions for summary judgment to avoid a trial are due by May 18, 2027. Atchley stated that he will not accept late motions, and a deadline extension would only be possible due to “extraordinary circumstances.”
Both parties were also ordered to pursue talks through federal mediation ahead of a trial. A couple of federal agencies are reportedly investigating Uncle Nearest regarding financial misconduct as well, The New York Times reports.
Note that the lawsuit could be resolved or narrowed before October 2027, according to the Moore County Observer.
