Shelbyville, TN - Just down Highway 231-South from Murfreesboro, Uncle Nearest Distillery stands as a tribute to Nathan “Nearest” Green—the formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey. Today, the distillery honors Green’s legacy as America’s first known Black master distiller, drawing visitors to its sprawling Shelbyville campus with tours, tastings, and the world’s largest bar.

But behind the scenes, the celebrated brand is facing a $100 million lawsuit from its lender, Farm Credit Mid-America. The creditor claims Uncle Nearest overstated its whiskey barrel inventory and misused loan funds, even requesting a court-appointed receiver to oversee the business.

Uncle Nearest fired back, blaming its former CFO for inflating barrel counts to secure a $24 million credit increase. The company says the CFO acted alone and has since been terminated. In court filings, Uncle Nearest insists its owners, Fawn and Keith Weaver, were unaware of the misreporting and are now cooperating with investigators.

The lawsuit also questions the purchase of a $2.2 million estate on Martha’s Vineyard. Uncle Nearest maintains the lender was informed of the transaction and raised no objections at the time.

Despite the legal storm, Uncle Nearest says it’s made good on its debts—paying $16.5 million over the past 18 months—and argues that its assets aren’t at risk. The company is asking the court to deny the request for a receiver.

A federal hearing is set for Thursday, where the future of one of Tennessee’s most iconic whiskey brands could take a dramatic turn.