Milam and Greene Concludes Wildlife Collection With One of Its Highest-Proof Bourbons Ever

Milam and Greene unveiled the last expression within the Wildlife Collection, which clocks in at 131.2 proof.

On Monday, Milam and Greene Whiskey unveiled the final expression within its Wildlife Collection. The fifth installment pays homage to the White-Tailed Buck. The White-Tailed Buck Single Barrel Bourbon will be available at the brand’s website online and in its tasting room in Blanco, Texas starting at 3 p.m. CST on Wednesday. Coming in hot and heavy at 131.2 proof, this is one of the highest-proof expressions the distillery has ever made and the highest of its Wildlife Collection, according to Milam and Greene.

Milam and Greene White-Tailed Buck Single Barrel Bourbon was pulled from cask #518, and just 259 bottles are available. The expression is priced at $149.99. As with the other releases within the Wildlife Collection, the bourbon is meant to track the way extreme climate fluctuations affect whiskey production.

“This year our distilling team has used our Wildlife Collection of Single Barrel Bourbons as an opportunity to explore the influences of climate on aging whiskey,” Milam and Greene Whiskey CEO and Master Blender Heather Greene said in a news release. “We’ve closely analyzed structural and qualitative aspects of whiskey matured in other states before coming to Texas for further aging. We then monitor atmospheric conditions, humidity, temperature fluctuations and differences in positions in both of our rickhouses to determine how that influences flavor extraction and texture of the whiskey. Our White-Tailed Buck Single Barrel release captures the dedication to craftsmanship and the exploration of the unique influence of Texas Hill Country environment on our whiskey.”

The bourbon has a mashbill of 84% corn, 8% rye and 8% malted barley. It was distilled and barreled in Tennessee in March of 2018, where it spent six years aging before it was brought to Texas in November 2022. For one year and sixteen days, the whiskey stayed at Milam and Greene, where it was subjected to extreme temperature fluctuations which ranged from triple-digit heat to an ice storm in February. The brand claims the drastic, sweeping temperature shifts amplified the interaction between the whiskey and barrel.

Milam and Greene claims the bourbon’s higher proof is attributed to the combinations of elevated temperature and low humidity, which lead to more water evaporation.

The brand named the whiskey after the white-tailed deer, as a lot are seen in Texas Hill County. Milam and Greene says its team witnesses many of these creatures grazing around the distillery.

“Labeling this whiskey as our White-Tailed Buck Single Barrel Bourbon in December is timely as deer hunting season in Texas is underway from November to January,” Milam and Greene Whiskey Distillery Manager Rikk Munroe said. “This beautiful and sometimes unpredictable animal is abundant in our state. We encourage drivers to be careful when traveling down Highway 281 during ‘rut’ or deer breeding season, as white-tailed deer can bolt across the highway at the worst times.”

Previous releases within the Wildlife Collection comprise Scorpion (123.3 proof), Bobcat,(119.48 proof), Rattlesnake (127.64 proof) and Free-Tailed Bat (126.8 proof).

Milam and Greene White-Tailed Buck Single Barrel Bourbon Tasting Notes, Via the Brand

Nose: Maple candy, brown sugar, damp earth, shortbread with a touch of cherry cordial.

Taste: Black cherry, cornbread muffin, cola, light oak, “Mary Jane” peanut butter taffy.

Finish: Menthol, gingerbread and candy corn. Oily and viscous.

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