Review of "The Answer" Bourbon Experimental Kit from Milam & Greene

 

As I have stated for all the years that I’ve been reviewing whiskeys, barrels are like snowflakes. You can pour the same distillate from the same batch into two barrels made from wood harvested from the same tree and built on the same day, store them in the same rack in the same warehouse immediately adjacent to one another, let them mature the exact same time, dump them both, and the whiskey inside each may taste similar but will have notable differences.

 

The reason that many of your flagship whiskeys taste the same year after year is that they’re being blended in batches. The more barrels used in a batch, the more consistent the expected flavors are.

 

So, what happens when you take the same Kentucky Bourbon distillate from the same batch, place them in two barrels from the same cooperage, and age them for the same amount of time, but one barrel matures locally and the other in Texas?

 

Marlene Holmes and Heather Greene of Milam & Greene asked that question. The subject whiskey of today’s review is named The Answer.

 

On Wednesday, May 28, 2025, I participated in a Zoom meeting to explore this five-year (almost six) experiment. Milam & Greene provided me with samples from each barrel for this #DrinkCurious opportunity in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

“We wanted to better understand how temperature fluctuation between the two environments influences flavor extraction in our whiskey, so one of the first activities we did together as a team was lay down these barrels in two states in 2019. The popular hypothesis that the hotter, drier climate significantly differentiates Texas bourbon across the board with higher oak extraction compared to a Kentucky bourbon is a good one, and now you can taste it.” – Heather Greene, CEO and Master Blender

 

Before I get started, let me explain how today’s review works. First, I’ll explore the Kentucky-aged version, followed by the Texas-aged. From there, I’ll blend the two and provide my tasting notes on that. Afterward, I’ll render my verdict, including which order I prefer these Bourbons.  

 

• Whiskey Type: Bourbon
• Distiller: Milam & Greene
• Age: 5 years
• Mashbill: Pot-distilled 70% corn, 22% malted rye, 8% malted barley
• Cooperage: 53-gallon, new, #4 charred oak barrels
• Barrel Entry Proof: 57.5% ABV (115°)
• Alcohol Content (Kentucky): 54.15% ABV (108.3°)
• Alcohol Content (Texas): 58.65% ABV (117.3°)
• Price: $149.99 (Two 375mL bottles included)

 

Kentucky-Aged Bourbon

 

Appearance: In my glass, this Bourbon looked like honey. It formed a medium rim with tightly spaced, medium-width tears.

 

Nose: The first thing I smelled was brown sugar, followed by caramel, vanilla, soft oak, cherries, and a floral quality. As I pulled the air into my mouth, the taste of nougat rolled across my tongue.

 

Palate: The silky texture led to flavors of nougat, vanilla, and corn on the front. I observed cherries, pears, and apples at my mid-palate. The back included oak, clove, and chocolate.

 

Finish: The long, even-keeled finish featured white pepper, oak, and apple pie filling. I timed the duration at 1:58.

 

Texas-Aged Bourbon

 

Appearance: The bronze-colored whiskey produced a thin rim and medium-width, crazed tears.

 

Nose: The aroma consisted of bananas, milk chocolate, caramel, vanilla, and oak. It was dessert-like in many ways, reminding me of a banana split sundae. Drawing the air through my lips, I encountered chocolate.

 

Palate: This Bourbon had a creamy mouthfeel. The front of my palate ran into oak, rye spice, and dark chocolate. Midway through, I discovered cinnamon spice, almonds, and nutmeg. The back tasted of black pepper, clove, and dry leather.

 

Finish: Things started relatively mild and quickly ramped up in intensity. Bold rye spice, Red Hots candy, black pepper, nutmeg, and dry leather were competing for attention. The duration ran 2:14, making it long. 

 

The Blend

There was no specific instruction on what ratio to blend, so I went with a roughly 50/50 mix (I eyeballed it rather than meticulously measuring it).

 

Appearance: The Bourbon had a honey-gold appearance, with a thin rim and watery tears.

 

Nose: The aroma featured floral notes accompanied by sour apples, pears, honey, and chocolate. Drawing the vapor into my mouth, there was corn.

 

Palate: The mouthfeel was creamy and dense. I tasted vanilla, nougat, and corn on the front. The middle included nutmeg, cherries, and oak. Flavors of leather, rye spice, and cinnamon hit the back of my palate.

 

Finish: Here’s where things became shocking. I had assumed the duration would run between 1:58 and 2:14. That would seem obvious, right? Bzzt! Wrong.

 

Instead, it lasted only 0:50. It was light and soft, allowing for clove, oak, rye spice, chocolate, caramel, and leather to remain in my mouth and on my tongue.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: My talents for blending involve filling an infinity bottle many years ago with excellent whiskeys of the same genre and creating something undrinkable. I immediately gave up tinkering with infinity bottles. However, blending the Texas and Kentucky-aged Bourbons explained to me how that happened.

 

As it turned out, my blend of the two was just lovely and became my favorite. My second choice was the Texas-aged, followed closely by the Kentucky-aged. Texas provided a spicier, slightly longer-lasting experience, while Kentucky offered a sweeter one. It was like comparing apples to oranges.

 

The Answer “kit” (for lack of a better term) not only features two very good Bourbons, but it is also an educational and geeky opportunity, and that is worth paying for. I have no qualms about my Bottle rating. If this is your jam, too, get in on this before they’re sold out. 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.