Review #872 - Milam & Greene Unabridged Bourbon Volume 2
Milam & Greene was founded by Texas entrepreneur Marsha Milam and master blender Heather Greene. While they're based in Blanco, Texas, where they distill some of their own spirits, they also distill in Kentucky and source product from Tennessee. This second volume of their Unabridged blended bourbon series utilizes distillate from all three of those states:
11 casks of 16 year Tennessee bourbon
18 casks of 7 year Tennessee bourbon
5 casks of 4 years Tennessee bourbon
9 casks of 3.5 year Kentucky bourbon (made with malted rye)
11 casks of 2 year Kentucky bourbon (made with malted rye)
2 casks of 2 year Texas bourbon (made with malted rye)
So, there's a wide range of ages of bourbon in this blend (technically an age statement of 2 years, but an average age closer to 6 or 7 years), but it leans toward mostly younger bourbon. While the Kentucky and Texas bourbon are both probably the company's own distillate (considering the disclosure of malted rye use on both), the Tennessee components are likely sourced; considering the age of some of that TN bourbon, we're guessing that it comes from George Dickel/Cascade Hollow.
After blending, this was bottled at barrel proof, which is 58.8% ABV (117.6 proof), and they disclose on the label that it isn't chill filtered.
Milam & Greene Unabridged Bourbon Volume 2
USA - Bourbon
Price: USD 87 (2026)
Age Statement: 2 Years
Strength: 58.8% ABV
Details: Not chill filtered; bottled 2023
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 17 months; bottles at 100%, 40%, and 20% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Leathery, dusty, some old oak. Caramel and a hint of powdered sugar bring sweetness, then we get a subtle cherry-orange fruit combination. Vanilla, honey, soft nutty scents, and a bit of a rye grain influence arrive over time.
Palate: The mouthfeel has a medium thickness. Oaky and a bit nutty, but despite the wood influence, it doesn't taste very old; linen, sweet grain, corn and honey bring a light complexion. Cherries and orange oil add a soft fruit side, and later, we get strong demerara sugar, cotton candy, and leather notes.
Finish: Smoked orange rind, wood spice, brown sugar, tannins, and graham cracker - both spicy and sweet. Leathery oak adds a bit of age, and we get vanilla and white cake in the background; it's a medium length finish.
Final Note: Some good here, some not so good. Despite the relatively strong oak influence from those older barrels and the Texas-matured components, we didn't think this actually tasted too old, but instead a bit drying and light. There is decent complexity, though: along with the oak, we got fruit flavors, baking spice elements, even a bit of a nutty and floral side. It's a pleasant bourbon, good to sip on, but not quite deep and intense enough to elevate it to higher scoring in our book.
Taking it all into consideration, we think the price here is just about fair, maybe just a tiny bit high for the tasting experience that you get. A price of $90 is fine, but we think a price closer to $70 would be the sweet spot.
Our Rating: 6.6 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.99
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Milam & Greene reviews:
Review #679 - Milam & Greene Provisions Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskies
