by The three powerhouse women behind Texas’ Milam & Greene Whiskey came to Kentucky last month to host an event at Bardstown Bourbon Company. The occasion was to officially launch their products in the Bluegrass State.
The trio (Co-founder Marsha Milam; co-founder, master blender and CEO Heather Greene; and Master Distiller Marlene Holmes) hosted a party for whiskey media, trade partners, and family. The event highlighted the 94-proof Triple Cask Straight Bourbon Whiskey that Milam & Greene makes in partnership with Bardstown Bourbon Company.
I asked Greene what makes Milam & Greene Whiskey stand out from the crowded field of bourbon distillers today. “It is whiskey made by whiskey experts, with more expertise than any other craft brand in America,” Greene said.
Yes, You CAN Make Bourbon in Texas
After sampling a cocktail (I had the tasty Triple Cask Elderflower Sour cocktail), Heather Greene led a tasting and deconstruction of the Triple Cask Bourbon. The blend starts with two 3-year-old bourbons with the same mashbill, same distiller, same size cask, same age – but with different flavor profiles. That’s because one is distilled on a 300-gallon pot still in Blanco in the heart of Texas hill country (“robust, peppery, spicy”). The other is made on the large column stills at Kentucky’s Bardstown Bourbon Company, in the bourbon capital of the world (“soft and creamy”).
After pointing out that, “Yes, you CAN make bourbon in Texas,” Greene said, “The Texas environment – the sun, the casks, and the terroir, the humidity – are actually doing some very interesting things to the whiskey down there.”
The third element in the Triple Cask Bourbon is a 10–14-year-old vintage Tennessee bourbon from George Dickel (“adding tannins, structure, and richness”).
Greene said the goal is to create a “whiskey drinker’s everyday, beautiful, sipping whiskey.” After hearing her use the word a couple of times, I asked Greene what makes a whiskey beautiful?
“A beautiful whiskey touches your soul. It’s something that is essential, relatable, and touches your soul,” Greene said. “It’s like a sunset, a gorgeous flower, a beautiful person. You want to dive in and be there for a while. That’s beautiful.”
Lured to the Texas Hill Country
After a nearly three-decade career with Beam Distillery in Kentucky, Marlene Holmes was lured to Texas to serve as the Master Distiller for Milam & Greene in 2018.
“We’re the fastest-growing craft distillery in the country and things are going really well for us,” Holmes told me after the tour.
The event in Bardstown was a bit of a homecoming for Holmes as several members of her family were there. “It’s a big thrill for me to be back home with family and friends,” Holmes said. “And to be able to share our bourbon with the folks in Kentucky. Well, I say home…I’ve got two homes now, Kentucky and Texas.”
After the tasting, Holmes led us on a tour of the Bardstown Bourbon Facility and talked us through her distilling process for the Kentucky portion of the Triple Cask Bourbon. Most of the blending is done down in Texas.
Cocktails
Milam & Greene Cask Bourbon, freshly squeezed lemon juice and a splash of elderflower syrup. Served on the rocks with a lemon wheel.
Port Finished Rye Old Fashioned
Milam & Greene Port Cask Finished Rye, with a touch of vanilla syrup and a dash of black walnut bitters. Served on the rocks with a maraschino cherry.
Check out a full list of all of their cocktail recipes here.
Authentic, truthful, and open
Milam & Greene also creates a straight rye whiskey, a port finished rye, a single barrel bourbon and several special edition whiskies.
Afterwards, I talked to Greene about what the future holds for Milam & Greene Whiskey.
“We want to grow,” Greene said. “What delights us is to be able to reach amazing whiskey drinkers who are passionate. Create a kind of tribe around us. Whiskey drinkers who are looking for something authentic, and truthful, and open and innovative. Something that maybe looks a little different to what they’re used to seeing.”
Milam & Greene Whiskey is already winning awards and is getting a strong reception as it continues to expand around the country. Here are a couple of pro tips: Get yourself a bottle of the Triple Cask Bourbon, enjoy some of the best whiskey coming out of the three top bourbon states, and don’t bet against the continued success of these three women in Blanco, Texas.
