Does where you age your bourbon matter to the final product?<\/p>\n It seems like the answer to that is an obvious\u00a0yes;<\/em> whiskeymakers have been telling us for decades that everything<\/em> matters, and that even the floor of the aging rickhouse and whether it\u2019s made of wood or concrete can have a huge impact on the finished product. And while you\u2019ll find plenty of hyper-localized experiments that poke at these smaller variables, like Buffalo Trace\u2019s Single Oak Project<\/a>, no one has really tested the impact of aging a whiskey in one state vs. another.<\/p>\n Until now.<\/p>\n Milam & Greene<\/a>\u2018s Kentucky vs. Texas aging experiment is a first, and it\u2019s 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 \u201cThe Answer.\u201d<\/p>\n The experiment is simple yet foundational:\u00a0Milam & 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 \u2014 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a fascinating experiment, and I\u2019ve got some thoughts on both whiskeys below. As well, if you pick up the two-bottle set of each whiskey, don\u2019t just try them separately. Try blending them in various proportions, which reveals a new layer of complexity \u2014 and which is, in essence, the idea behind M&G\u2019s Triple Cask Bourbon<\/a>\u00a0offering.<\/p>\n 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 \u2014 approaching cigar box with its intensity. Sweet nougat and marzipan endure and lead to a finish that echoes fruit \u2014 raspberry a particularly vivid concluding note. Beautiful and clean, it\u2019s a classic Kentucky experience that couldn\u2019t be more effusive.<\/p>\n 108.3 proof.\u00a0A<\/strong><\/p>\n Heavier char notes on the nose \u2014 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, \u201ca little sassy,\u201d with so much tannic oak that it initially threatens to claw your cheeks apart. Time in glass helps there \u2014 though the nose remains rather tough \u2014 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\u2019ve encountered over the years, but still well in the wheelhouse as it leans hard on its oak.<\/p>\n 117.3 proof.\u00a0A-<\/strong><\/p>\n $150 per set (two 375ml bottles)<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tUSD150<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"Where](\"https:\/\/www.drinkhacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/milam-greene-the-answer.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nMilam & Greene \u201cThe Answer\u201d Bourbon \u2013 Kentucky Aged Review<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Milam & Greene \u201cThe Answer\u201d <\/strong>Bourbon <\/strong>\u2013 Texas Aged Review<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Milam & Greene “The Answer” Bourbon<\/h2>\n