Fawn and Keith Weaver, the founders behind the acclaimed Uncle Nearest whiskey brand, are opposing efforts to expand a court-ordered receivership that has already placed their Tennessee distillery under judicial control.
Nearest Green Distillery and its flagship Uncle Nearest whiskey brand have been under a receiver’s management since August 2025 after lender Farm Credit Mid-America claimed the Weavers defaulted on more than $108 million in loans, AFROTECH™ previously reported.
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According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, receiver Phillip Young recently asked a federal judge to determine whether several other Weaver-affiliated businesses should also fall under court oversight. Those include Humble Baron Inc., the operator of the record-holding bar at the Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville, TN, as well as several hospitality and real estate ventures connected to the founders.
In new filings, the Weavers argue that the 10 businesses are separate from the distillery and not responsible for its debts. They contend that Uncle Nearest has enough assets to cover its obligations and that expanding the receivership would improperly remove their financial interests.
The couple also claims that Farm Credit’s allegations have caused “immediate financial and reputational harm,” saying vendors stopped doing business and customers canceled orders, notes the Lexington Herald-Leader.
“The non-defendants have suffered significant financial losses as a result of this effort by Farm Credit that has no legitimate legal or factual basis, is not necessary to protect Farm Credit’s interests, and appears solely intended to harm the non-defendants and the interests of Fawn and Keith Weaver,” read the court filings, per the outlet.
According to court documents, Farm Credit has yet to provide supporting evidence for its claims, despite a judge’s order to do so. The Weavers maintain that a former employee’s fraud, not mismanagement, contributed to the distillery’s financial issues and allege that Farm Credit may share some liability due to a connection between a loan officer and the former CFO, as AFROTECH™ previously reported.
The entities the Weavers seek to exclude from receivership include:
- Humble Baron Inc., which operates the Humble Baron Bar at Nearest Green Distillery and holds a lease through 2030.
- Grant Sidney Inc., Fawn Weaver’s company that owns about 40% of Uncle Nearest and has made several cash infusions to cover payroll.
- 4 Front Street, a limited liability company in which Keith Weaver holds a minority interest.
- Weaver Interwoven Family Foundation, a proposed charitable venture for the couple’s philanthropic efforts.
- Quill and Cask Owner LLC, a Tennessee company owned by Keith Weaver that buys and sells assets, including real estate and whiskey barrels.
- Shelbyville Barrel House BBQ LLC, which operates Chuck’s Barrel House BBQ II, a walk-up restaurant located at the distillery.
- Classic Hops Brewing Co., a developing beer brand and brewpub concept owned by Keith Weaver.
- Nashwood Inc., a hospitality and real estate company that provides occasional project management services to the distillery.
- Shelbyville Grand LLC, which manages real estate, including warehouse space leased to Nearest Green Distillery.
- Uncle Nearest Spurs VI LLC, a Delaware corporation with no operations or assets.
The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that Judge Charles Atchley Jr. will review the filings and decide if the additional entities will be brought under the court receivership and determine the future of Uncle Nearest and its related businesses.
As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Uncle Nearest Distillery, named for Nathan “Nearest” Green, the formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel the craft of whiskey-making, became one of the fastest-growing independent American whiskey brands in history, with an estimated valuation of $1.1 billion in 2024.
