This Bourbon was blended by Master Blender Heather Greene and her team at Milam & Greene, using whiskey contract distilled in Kentucky and sourced whiskey distilled in Tennessee. Back in Texas, she and her team finished the whiskey with charred French Oak Staves. Heather has an excellent palate and she demonstrates her talent in bringing together these elements to create this finished Bourbon. She gave me a bottle while she was in Kentucky recently and I thoroughly enjoyed having a drink with her and catching up. Matt and I more recently sat down and tasted this whiskey. Here are our tasting notes.

Milam & Greene Very Small Batch Bourbon Finished with Charred French Oak Staves

Proof: 108

Age: NAS

Nose:

  • Mike: Caramel and marshmallows, apples, baking spice and oak.
  • Matt: French vanilla, grape, honeysuckle and field greens.

Taste:

  • Mike: Caramel, apples, nutmeg allspice and oak. Tasting a dried cranberry enhances the caramel and apple and the spice becomes cinnamon. Tasted with a pecan and the oak is enhanced with a hint of pepper spice and the caramel and apple flavors are reduced.
  • Matt: Vanilla, grape tomatoes and honey. The dried cranberry brought out candied apple, vanilla and honey. The pecan brought out notes of candied apple, cherries and honey.

Finish:

  • Mike: Medium long with oak and spice. The dried cranberry made the finish shorter and sweeter with oak and lingering caramel. The pecan made the finish very long and dry with oak and pepper notes.
  • Matt: Oak wood and herbal tea. The dried cranberry brought out more oak with lingering honey. The pecan brought out oak, honey and caramel in the finish.

I would pair this Bourbon whiskey with a RoMa Craft Neanderthal SGP. The rich tobacco and caramel of the smoke would pair well with the caramel and apple flavors in the Bourbon.

Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller