Milam & Greene "Unabridged Volume 3" Cask Strength Bourbon Review

 

Marsha Milam has had an impressive career. For the most part, she’s been in public relations. In 1993, she founded Unplugged At The Grove, now the longest-running, free live music event in Austin, Texas. That same year, she co-founded the Austin Film Festival. She’s a big-time music live event producer and does business under Marsha Milam Music.

 

And in 2017, she decided to get into the whiskey biz, beginning with Ben Milam Whiskey. It is located in Blanco, Texas. Marsha and Ben share the same surname; they must be related, right? Ben was her cousin six times removed. But why name a brand after him?

 

Well, Ben just happened to be one of the heroes of the Texas Revolution. He fought side-by-side with Americans during the Mexican War of Independence, then fought with Texans during their battle to become a sovereign nation. He was killed in action, and many places, including a county, are named in his honor.

 

Heather Greene is a name that many whiskey fans recognize, especially after being named Master Blender of the Year at the 2023 Women of Whiskey Awards. She’s a pioneer for women in the industry, the first American woman to sit on the Scotch Malt Whiskey Society Tasting Panel. She’s the author of Whisk(e)y Distilled: A Populist Guide to the Water of Life and the first woman to write a whiskey-centric book shortlisted by the New York Times. 

 

Marlene Holmes began her career distilling for Jim Beam at its Booker Noe plant. Her tenure ran 30 years, and she worked closely with the legend himself. She also worked with Pam Heilmann, the Master Distiller Emeritus of Michter’s. Marlene was honored as the 2024 Master Distiller of the Year by the Women of Whiskey Awards.

 

These three talented women joined forces to form what is now called Milam & Greene Whiskey. I’ve tried two of its whiskeys before today, and you can color me very impressed.

 

Milam & Greene’s newest release is called Unabridged Volume 3. Unabridged refers to the printing industry, meaning nothing has been cut or edited; you get the text as the author wrote it.

 

“Customers love cask-strength whiskeys. They had been asking us for years to create one, and we answered by creating the Unabridged series. The trick was to do something full of flavor and personality while still retaining elegance. Judging from the reaction at this year’s Kentucky Bourbon Festival, we nailed it once again.” – Heather Greene, Master Blender

 

Unabridged Volume 3 is a blend of cask-strength Bourbons from Texas, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Milam & Greene explains the blend consists of:

• 10-Year Kentucky Bourbon (4 casks)
• 9-Year Kentucky Bourbon (13 casks)
• 6-Year Kentucky Bourbon (7 casks)
• 4-Year Texas Bourbon made with malted rye (5 casks)
• 4-Year Tennessee Bourbon (5 casks)
• 3.5-Year Kentucky Bourbon made with malted rye (15 casks)

 

The blend is packaged at 59% ABV (118°) and has a suggested price of $94.99 for a 750ml.

 

I am grateful to Milam & Greene for providing me with a sample of Unabridged Volume 3 in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious.

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to sip this Bourbon neat. Unabridged had a dark caramel color; it produced a medium-thick rim and a curtain of thick tears.

 

Nose: The aroma included smells of brown sugar, apricots, leather, tobacco leaf, and oak. As I drew the air into my mouth, I encountered honey, oats, and vanilla.

 

Palate: The texture was creamy and velvety. On the front, I discovered black cherry, leather, and cigar. Midway through, there was molé sauce and spiced nuts. The back offered black pepper, vanilla, and candied ginger.

 

Finish: Medium-long in duration and meandering between sweet and spicy, the finish included sensations of tobacco, candied ginger, black cherry, leather, molé sauce, and caramel. I timed it at 1:41.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Several folks find Texas whiskeys off-putting. Some are palatable, and others that are more of a hot mess. Milam & Greene has consistently put out exceptional whiskeys, and Unabridged Volume 3 is no exception.

 

This Bourbon drank way, way under its stated proof. The molé sauce is the first time I’ve found that note in any whiskey, and it took me time to nail down. A good molé sauce is worth its weight in gold.

 

Some may scoff at the 3.5-year component and wonder why this should command the suggested retail price. I’m here to tell you that this is one heck of a great Bourbon, and it earns every iota of my Bottle rating. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.