Have you ever asked yourself, “I wonder what the same bourbon distillate would taste like if it was aged five years in Kentucky versus spending five years in the dramatically different climate of Texas?”
Our friends at Milam & Greene (M & G) have the answer. Its unique two-bottle set, called “The Answer” Straight Bourbon launched this week. The Texas distillery describes it as “the first whiskey in the United States to isolate and identify the difference in the impact of climate on whiskey flavor and proof between Kentucky and Texas.”
In 2019, M & G distilled a batch of Kentucky Straight Bourbon in Bardstown. Half was sent to M & G’s home in Blanco, Texas (milder winters, hotter summers, less humidity) and half stayed in Kentucky.
Five years later, the proof of the whiskey leaving the Texas barrels had gone up; the proof of the Bluegrass bourbon went down.
“We wanted to better understand how temperature fluctuation between the two environments influences flavor extraction in our whiskey, so one of the first activities we did together as a team was lay down these barrels in two states in 2019,” said Heather Greene, CEO and Master Blender at Milam & Greene. “The popular hypothesis that the hotter, drier climate significantly differentiates Texas bourbon across the board with higher oak extraction compared to a Kentucky bourbon is a good one, and now you can taste it. I encourage other distilleries in Texas to iterate on our findings, though, and I suspect many will come up with similar results. This is exciting.”
Whiskey Network was honored to be invited to participate in an online tasting with other whiskey media members of this exciting experiment this week. The Zoom tasting was led by Milam & Greene CEO and Master Blender Heather Greene and Master Distiller Marlene Holmes.
The unique two-bottle set allowed each of us to sample the flavors instilled by each state’s unique climates. I found the Kentucky product offered flavors of brown sugar, caramel, apples, and pears. In a word: sweeter. The darker Texas bottle gave me cinnamon, intense oak, and darker caramel. In a word: spicier.
Both are good in their own way, but my palate gravitated to the sweeter Kentucky offering. (But many on the Zoom call gave their vote to the bottle that had undergone the “Texification’ process.)
But we weren’t done. Now the two bottles let us act as “Master Blenders for a Day,” gradually adding the darker Texas liquid into the amber Kentucky liquid until we reached the perfect blend. Spicy heat mellowed out, and sweetness took on more complexity.
As Greene told the group, “They make each other better.”
Don’t sleep on this limited release. It’s a unique way to get a macro view of the influence varying climates, and how you blend them, can have on the ultimate taste in your glass.
Milam & Greene “The Answer” Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Mash bill: 70% corn, 8% malted barley, and 22% malted rye.
SRP: $149.99 for a set of two 375ml bottles.
Barrel Char: #4 Char
Proof: Cask Strength
Availability: 800 cases of “The Answer” are be available on the Milam & Greene Whiskey website, at the distillery tasting room, and in select retail stores nationwide.
Milam & Greene Whiskey invites the public to celebrate the introduction of “The Answer” at its Release Party at the distillery.
- When: 12:00 to 5:00 PM CDT, Saturday, May 31, 2025
- Where: Milam & Greene Whiskey Distillery, 208 Carlie Ln, Blanco, TX 78606
- What: The release party will feature Texas Hill Country BBQ available for purchase from a food truck, photo booth, scavenger hunt, live music by Kayla Jane & Drew Moreland from 12:00 to 3:00 PM, and David Rioux & Friends from 3:30 to 6:00 PM. Two-bottle sets of “The Answer” Straight Bourbon will be available for purchase while supplies last.
Source: Milam & Greene
“Individually, each bourbon is delicious, and batched together, the combined bourbons also create gorgeous, complex whiskey. This experiment puts a spotlight on everything we do at Milam & Greene as we bring together the best casks aged in different states, or as in our sell-out Wildlife Collection, bringing whiskey down to Blanco to age for extra flavor extraction. We understand how to get the best characteristics of whiskey from each state to shine through in a blend. Our team emphasizes that while the chemical analysis of the whiskey is exciting, nothing compares to the human experience of nosing and tasting.”
About Milam & Greene Whiskey
(From the distillery) Milam & Greene Whiskey believes in using the best people and ingredients to create delicious, award-winning whiskey for whiskey lovers. Named after its founder, Texas entrepreneur Marsha Milam, and CEO, master blender, and author, Heather Greene, Milam & Greene Whiskey embodies the dedication and expertise of its remarkable team. Milam & Greene Whiskey is made by some of the world’s most experienced whiskey professionals, including Heather Greene, and 30-year whiskey veteran and master distiller, Marlene Holmes. Milam & Greene earned recognition as the “2023 Rising Star Spirits Company of the Year” at The Ascot Awards followed by Heather Greene being awarded “Master Blender of the Year,” and Marlene Holmes was recently named “2024 Master Distiller of the Year.” The Milam & Greene team distills in Blanco, Texas on copper pot stills as well as in Kentucky on classic column stills, using its proprietary yeast recipe and mash bill. Aging takes place in casks with an assortment of char levels, located in rickhouses spread across four states with varying climates and terroir resulting in a variety of flavors that create the most thorough array of casks collected by any craft distiller. These casks become the ingredients from which its award-winning American whiskey range is batched to create perfection. For more information visit: milamandgreenewhiskey.com.
