Milam & Greene, the Texas whiskey brand headed by Heather Greene and Beam alum Marlene Holmes, has released Unabridged, Vol II.

“Only a tiny percentage of our finest casks make it into Unabridged Volume 2,” says Heather Greene, master blender and CEO of Milam & Greene. “Some of these vintage casks lost 68% of the liquid in them from evaporation over time. What’s left is a rich and luxurious bourbon that adds the perfect amount of wood notes. We also selected young casks for bright flavors popping with fruits and florals. The lucky seven-year-old casks were influenced by the hot summer Texan climate, adding a richness you wouldn’t otherwise find at this age. Blended together, the whiskey from these barrels creates an exciting novel.” 

Milam & Greene contract distills whiskey in Kentucky and Tennessee and also distills in Texas. Some casks are matured in Texas and some batching is done in Texas, which poses some interesting challenges.

“Climate is yet another ingredient that contributes to the flavors of all our whiskies, including this one,” says Rikk Munroe, Milam & Greene Whiskey distillery manager. “The distilling team monitors our cask maturation closely to ensure we have just the right flavor profiles. A few of the casks used to create Unabridged Volume 2 required storage in a vatting tank to halt the effects of aging and evaporation in anticipation of creating this whiskey.”  

The Kentucky barrels are made on a column still, while the Texas barrels are made on a pot still. This gives the brand a wide variety of flavor profiles from which to pull.

“Both pot and column stills bring enticing characteristics to whiskey, “says Marlene Holmes, master distiller. “Pot Stills are more difficult to work with, and a little bit wild but they create a toasty and rich profile. Whereas the traditional column still I distill with in Kentucky creates a more refined distillate.”

This whiskey is a blend of 11 casks of 16-year Tennessee Bourbon matured in both Texas and Tennessee, 18 casks of 7-year Tennessee Bourbon matured in both Tennessee and Texas, 5 casks of 4-year Tennessee Bourbon matured in both Tennessee and Texas, 9 casks of 3.5-year Kentucky Bourbon with malted rye matured in Kentucky, 11 casks of 2-year-old Kentucky Bourbon with malted rye matured in Kentucky, and 2 casks of Texas Bourbon with malted rye matured in Texas. Needless to say, it’s a very complex whiskey with a lot going on.

On the nose, there is brown sugar browned butter, honeysuckle and orange blossom, cinnamon, and a hint of leather.

On the palate, there is clove, orange, rose petals, vanilla, honey, cinnamon, chocolate, anise, and dark dried stonefruit. There is not as much heat as expected for a partially Texas-matured product. The finish is warm and medium and the cinnamon notes stick around.

Milam & Greene Unabridged Vol. II is 117.6 proof and has an MSRP of $94.99. 800 cases will be available across the USA and Canada.

Photos Courtesy of Maggie Kimberl