FREE-TAILED BAT LIMITED RELEASE ONLINE
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 11 - 3PM CENTRAL
THE WILDLIFE COLLECTION
SINGLE BARREL SERIES
Introducing The Wildlife Collection, a new limited-edition series of cask strength, single barrel whiskies that attempt to answer the question, “How does weather affect aging whiskey?” – namely the exceptionally high heat, ice storms, wild temperature swings, drought and low humidity levels that hit Texas Hill Country within the last year. The Milam & Greene Wildlife Collection pays homage to the local Texas wildlife that somehow thrive in these extremes. The first release of this collection was The Scorpion Single Barrel, which sold out in less than 15 minutes. The second release was The Bobcat Single Barrel which sold out in less than 3 minutes. More limited releases coming soon!
“We are continuously experimenting to determine how Texas weather affects aging whiskey – whether it was distilled in Texas or elsewhere – and the results are quite extraordinary so far,” says Milam & Greene Whiskey CEO and master blender Heather Greene. “We’ve noticed that the wild swings in high and low temperatures matched with low humidity here are a real ingredient in our whiskies. The Wildlife Collection, therefore, will deliver a traditional base flavor of a Kentucky or Tennessee whiskey but is tweaked and refined using the natural elements like wind, sun, and humidity of the Texas Hill Country to affect the aging in a barrel and to make something truly special.”
FREETAILED-BAT
The fourth release in the 2023 Wildlife Collection, Free-Tailed Bat Single Barrel Bourbon, a limited-edition, cask-strength, single-barrel bourbon will be available exclusively on the Milam & Greene Whiskey website and in the distillery tasting room beginning at 3:00 p.m. (CST) on Wednesday, October 11. Each release in Milam & Greene’s Wildlife Collection highlights how the weather in the Texas Hill Country impacts the aging process of their whiskey and honors the local Texas wildlife that thrives in this challenging environment.
Milam & Greene Whiskey distillery manager, Rikk Munroe, is accustomed to seeing the fast-swooping bats first-hand around the distillery and in the Texas Hill Country. “Free-Tailed Bat Single Barrel Bourbon is named for the Mexican Free-Tailed bats that take up residence in the rickhouses occasionally. They roost in the upper dark corners during the daytime and head out around dusk to feed on insects before returning by morning to sleep for the day. As fall approaches, bats begin migrating to warmer climates for hibernation. Perfect timing for us to release this cask as the bats take flight.”
Milam & Greene Free-Tailed Bat Single Barrel Bourbon is pulled from cask #618, and only 130 bottles are available of this extremely limited, 126.8 Proof cask-strength release. It was distilled in Tennessee with a mash bill of 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley. It was barreled in Tennessee on March 7, 2016, and was bottled in Texas on September 25, 2023, at 126.8 proof. Free-Tailed Bat Single Barrel Bourbon was aged a total of seven years, six months, and 18 days with almost five and a half years of aging in Tennessee the final two years and four months on the northside of our Rickhouse 1 in Blanco, Texas, in row 1 where it rested undisturbed, unrotated, and without climate control.
TASTING NOTES
Color: Tawny bronze.
Nose:It has deep aromas of caramel candy, stone fruit cobbler, and baking spice.
Palate: The palate carries through with mild nuttiness, oak notes, allspice, and candy corn enveloped in a smooth, creamy, and round mouthfeel. It has a medium oily finish punctuated by black peppercorn before slowly easing into soft mint candy.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each bottle of the Milam & Greene Wildlife Collection will go to benefit Texas Parks & Wildlife.
THE WILDLIFE COLLECTION
SINGLE BARREL SERIES
Introducing The Wildlife Collection, a new limited-edition series of cask strength, single barrel whiskies that attempt to answer the question, “How does weather affect aging whiskey?” – namely the exceptionally high heat, ice storms, wild temperature swings, drought and low humidity levels that hit Texas Hill Country within the last year. The Milam & Greene Wildlife Collection pays homage to the local Texas wildlife that somehow thrive in these extremes. The first release of this collection was The Scorpion Single Barrel, which sold out in less than 15 minutes. The second release was The Bobcat Single Barrel which sold out in less than 3 minutes. More limited releases coming soon!
“We are continuously experimenting to determine how Texas weather affects aging whiskey – whether it was distilled in Texas or elsewhere – and the results are quite extraordinary so far,” says Milam & Greene Whiskey CEO and master blender Heather Greene. “We’ve noticed that the wild swings in high and low temperatures matched with low humidity here are a real ingredient in our whiskies. The Wildlife Collection, therefore, will deliver a traditional base flavor of a Kentucky or Tennessee whiskey but is tweaked and refined using the natural elements like wind, sun, and humidity of the Texas Hill Country to affect the aging in a barrel and to make something truly special.”
RATTLESNAKE
The third release in the Wildlife Collection, Rattlesnake Single Barrel Bourbon, a limited-edition, cask-strength, single-barrel whisky is now available exclusively on our website and in the distillery tasting room. Each single-barrel release in the Milam & Greene Wildlife Collection highlights the impact of Texas Hill Country weather on aging whiskey and honors the local Texas wildlife that thrives in this beautiful, but often challenging environment.
“This whiskey is a cherry bomb all the way through. It has a great mouthfeel and hangs in the glass beautifully. This whiskey came out of the barrel at 127.64 proof, so it bites like a diamondback!” ⸺ Rikk Munroe, distillery manager
Only 168 bottles are available from this high-proof release, which was pulled from cask #704. It’s named for the most common venomous snake in Texas, the rattlesnake. There are 10 different types of rattlesnakes living in Texas, and the most common rattlesnake in Blanco and the surrounding Hill Country is the Western diamondback rattlesnake. Rattlesnakes prefer warm weather, and they are active in the spring and summer in central Texas. Milam & Greene whiskies age well in warm weather, and cask #704 is being called into action this summer.
Rattlesnake Single Barrel Bourbon was distilled in Tennessee with a mash bill of 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley. It was barreled on March 8, 2016, and was bottled on July 5, 2023, at 127.64 proof, giving it plenty of bite. The seven-year-three-month-24-day-old Milam & Greene Rattlesnake Single Barrel is our oldest Wildlife Collection release to date. It was aged in a char #3 new American oak barrel with five years and five months in Tennessee, and an additional one year and 10 months in Blanco, Texas on the northside of our rickhouse 1, row 1, level 1, position 1 where it rested undisturbed, unrotated, and without climate control. During its time spent in Texas, this special cask whiskey endured two hard freezes, almost two full summers with daily triple-digit temperatures, and
TASTING NOTES
Color: Deep mahogany.
Nose: Its age is apparent on the nose with dusty oak scents at the front followed by cherry cobbler, pecan praline, and spearmint.
Palate: The mouthfeel is full, oily, and rich with flavors layered with dark fruit, bit-o-honey candy, and anise. It has a lush finish with cherry cordial, coffee cake, and honey-roasted nut flavors, along with a touch of menthol.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each bottle of the Milam & Greene Wildlife Collection will go to benefit Texas Parks & Wildlife.
BOBCAT
Our Bobcat Single Barrel Bourbon, the second release in the Wildlife Collection, a limited-edition series of cask-strength, single-barrel whiskies, is now available exclusively on our website and in the distillery tasting room. The Milam & Greene Wildlife Collection showcases the effects of Texas Hill Country weather on aging whiskey and honors the local Texas wildlife that thrives in this beautiful, but often challenging environment.
This extremely limited high-proof release is pulled from a single barrel: cask #207. It is named for the solitary, rarely seen bobcat of which Texas has two subspecies: the desert bobcat in the west and northwest, and the Texas bobcat, which ranges across the rest of the state. Much like the solo bobcat that left her tracks behind the Milam & Greene distillery in the winter of 2022, cask #207 is the last from its lot, aging in some of the most intense Hill Country weather conditions on record.
Bobcat Single Barrel Bourbon was distilled in Tennessee with a mash bill of 80% corn, 10% rye, and 10% malted barley. It was barreled on March 15, 2018, and was bottled on March 31, 2023, at 119.48 proof, giving it depth and richness. Bobcat Single Barrel was aged more than four years in new American oak barrels with a #4 alligator char in Tennessee and then for 10.5 months in Blanco, Texas on the northside of the Milam & Greene Rickhouse 1, row 4, level 3, position 5 where it rested undisturbed, unrotated and without climate control. During its time spent in Texas, the whiskey weathered almost two months of triple-digit temperatures, an extended drought, and a multi-day ice storm that caused widespread power outages, significant tree damage, and effectively shut-down commerce in the state.
TASTING NOTES
Color: Russet muscat brown.
Nose: Bobcat is a complex bourbon with a rose petal scent is layered with old leather and maple syrup.
Palate: The palate starts with demerara sugar chased by fresh-baked biscuit and oak notes, followed by a long finish with allspice and cinnamon.
SCORPION
The first release of the Milam & Greene Wildlife Collection is the Scorpion Single Barrel, which was released on Wednesday, February 22, 2023.
The Scorpion Single Barrel is bottled at 123.3 proof, making this bourbon one of the strongest and richest barrels ever seen at Milam & Greene. The Scorpion spent 50 months in Tennessee, followed by eight months on the northside of the Milam & Greene rickhouse in Texas where it sat quietly, without rotation or climate control. Like its namesake, the scorpion, this whiskey thrived in the blazing Texas heat, where there were over 50 consecutive days of triple-digit temperatures and tremendous drought combined with high barometric pressure last summer. This left a darker, richer, more robust, and perhaps even more mysterious spirit than barrels from the same lot that stayed in Tennessee. Some might even call it an “Extreme Weather Whiskey.”
The result is an intense, brooding bourbon with a deep copper color. It has rich scents of maple glazed donut, a viscous texture with bold herbs, black pepper, candied orange peel, and tobacco flavors with a dry finish punctuated by fresh cut lumber notes.
“Scorpion is truly a ‘Texas finished, Tennessee Whiskey’ that belies its age,” continued Greene. “We will release more Single Barrel Wildlife Collection whiskies this year, and I expect each one to be quite different even though their lineages are all similar. I find the minutia of what happens in a cask to be some of the most fascinating and misunderstood aspects of what makes a whiskey beautiful.”
WATCH HEATER GREENE
TALK ABOUT SCORPION
TASTING NOTES
Color: Dark, brooding amber.
Nose: Kitchen spice, maple, caramel and vanilla. Tread lightly!
Palate: Robust and hot with bold herbs, black pepper, candied orange peel, and tobacco flavors with hints of sweetness.
Finish: Long and lingering like a Texas Hill Country heatwave.
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