Where Does Bourbon Age Best? Milam & Greene’s “The Answer” Pits Kentucky vs. Texas
Does where you age your bourbon matter to the final product?
It seems like the answer to that is an obvious yes; whiskeymakers have been telling us for decades that everything matters, and that even the floor of the aging rickhouse and whether it’s made of wood or concrete can have a huge impact on the finished product. And while you’ll find plenty of hyper-localized experiments that poke at these smaller variables, like Buffalo Trace’s Single Oak Project, no one has really tested the impact of aging a whiskey in one state vs. another.
Until now.
Milam & Greene‘s Kentucky vs. Texas aging experiment is a first, and it’s hard to believe it has taken this long to get done. Even more exciting is the fact that you, the consumer, get to sample the results yourself, so you too can be part of “The Answer.”
The experiment is simple yet foundational: Milam & Greene distilled 15 barrels worth of whiskey in Kentucky in the fall of 2019. The whiskey was distilled at Bardstown Bourbon Co. from a sweet mash of 70% corn, 8% malted barley, and 22% malted rye — with two yeast strains used. The whiskey was then barreled at a 115 entry proof before the batch was torn asunder: Half the barrels stayed in Kentucky in Bardstown, and half (well, 8 of the 15) were shipped off to Texas. Both halves aged for an identical length of time, more than five years.
In summer 2025, the experiment concluded, the whiskeys were dumped, bottled in 375ml bottles which are sold as a two-bottle set, and offered up to the public and press. In a Zoom tasting with master blender Heather Greene and master distiller Marlene Holmes, I was able to undertake the ultimate whiskey compare and contrast operation, and see for myself the stark difference between aging in the relatively mellow Kentucky climate vs. under the unforgiving Texas sun.
It’s a fascinating experiment, and I’ve got some thoughts on both whiskeys below. As well, if you pick up the two-bottle set of each whiskey, don’t just try them separately. Try blending them in various proportions, which reveals a new layer of complexity — and which is, in essence, the idea behind M&G’s Triple Cask Bourbon offering.
Milam & Greene “The Answer” Bourbon – Kentucky Aged Review
Lighter in color than the Texas aged spirit. Beefier on the nose, with lots of big rye spice. Plenty of underlying vanilla and caramel, with ample barrel char providing a gritty punch. The palate has fruit galore, a big salad of apples, berries, and stone fruit, backed up by clementine oranges, banana, and baking spice — approaching cigar box with its intensity. Sweet nougat and marzipan endure and lead to a finish that echoes fruit — raspberry a particularly vivid concluding note. Beautiful and clean, it’s a classic Kentucky experience that couldn’t be more effusive.
108.3 proof. A
Milam & Greene “The Answer” Bourbon – Texas Aged Review
Heavier char notes on the nose — much heavier. (Even the chemical analysis of these whiskeys is significantly different, says Greene.) Tannin and oak are immediate on the nose, followed by a bold BBQ beef rib note, heavy on the bark. The palate is biting and, as Holmes says, “a little sassy,” with so much tannic oak that it initially threatens to claw your cheeks apart. Time in glass helps there — though the nose remains rather tough — helping coax out surprisingly sweet notes of butterscotch, almond brittle, and a significant clove character late in the game. The finish runs fast to dark chocolate and a clear toasted almond note, with a charry reprise. Less punchy than many Texas whiskeys I’ve encountered over the years, but still well in the wheelhouse as it leans hard on its oak.
117.3 proof. A-
$150 per set (two 375ml bottles)
The post Where Does Bourbon Age Best? Milam & Greene’s “The Answer” Pits Kentucky vs. Texas appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider’s Guide to Good Drinking.