Blanco, Texas-based Milam & Greene Whiskey is pleased to announce that Marlene Holmes was recognized as the Master Distiller of the Year at the second annual WOW (Women of Whiskey) Awards, presented at a ceremony during the Bourbon Women SIPosium on Aug. 16 in Kentucky. The WOW Awards recognize exceptional women leaders who made indelible marks in the whiskey industry. For more than three decades, Holmes, a Kentucky native, demonstrated a meticulous, creative, and hands-on approach to ensuring the production of top-quality whiskies.
Holmes started her career in whiskey in 1990 with Jim Beam in Kentucky under the legendary Booker Noe. During her time there, she honed her craft and learned the whiskey business from distillery operator to whiskey cutter, all while producing more than 1,400 barrels a day. After 27 years in Kentucky, Marlene packed up her life and started a whole new chapter with Milam & Greene in 2018.
“Marlene immediately became the most experienced whiskey maker in all of Texas,” says Marsha Milam, co-founder of Milam & Greene Whiskey. “And guess what? She still is, inspiring a whole new generation of whiskey makers with her talent, grit, and skill. We are incredibly lucky to have generations of whiskey knowledge passed through Marlene and now to our whole team.”
During her tenure at Milam and Greene, the company expanded the distillery twice as demand for the product grew beyond Texas. She spearheaded production partnerships in Kentucky where Milam & Greene also makes its whiskey according to a bespoke mash bill, yeast strains, and cask requirements. She can perfect whiskey out of tiny copper pot stills and large column stills alike, making her an anomaly in the industry. The brand is now in 19 States and growing year-over-year as consumers look for truly authentic brands with inspiring people and stories behind them.
Marlene’s award also comes just one year after the distillery’s CEO Heather Greene was honored as the 2023 Master Blender of the Year by Women of Whiskey. These honors awarded over two consecutive years speak to the profound whiskey expertise of the Milam & Greene team. As Greene says, “It all comes down to making good, consistent whiskey, and it’s got to compete with the best whiskeys in the world – that’s always been our whiskey-making mindset.”
Holmes says, “This award means a great deal to me, but after 34 years in the business, I might be more excited seeing how much it meant to all of us at Milam & Greene. We’re here to work together and make great whiskey, and this award is a testament to that dedication amongst all of us.”
Milam & Greene Whiskey is renowned for its expert distilling and blending across a diverse range of products, including the highly coveted limited-edition Blender’s Reserve Collection which features Very Small Batch Bourbon, Unabridged Volumes Bourbon, and the Castle Hill Vintage Series. The Milam & Greene Whiskey team first released their award-winning core range including Triple Cask Bourbon and Port Cask Finished Rye in 2019, and since then these small-batch products have propelled the company into one of the most successful independently-run whiskey companies in America. Milam & Greene whiskies are celebrated for their finesse, refinement, nuance, and ethereal quality.