Milam & Greene Whiskey is introducing “The Answer” Straight Bourbon, specifically crafted to isolate and identify the difference in the impact of climate on whiskey flavor and proof between Kentucky and Texas. For more than five years, Milam & Greene aged whiskey from the exact same distillation in Kentucky and in the Texas Hill Country. The result is a groundbreaking, side-by-side bourbon bottle set. It invites whiskey enthusiasts to explore the distinct “science in a glass” of each bourbon and then to try their hand at blending, a technique central to Milam & Greene’s acclaimed whiskeys. A limited release of just 800 cases of “The Answer” will be available on the Milam & Greene Whiskey website, at the distillery tasting room, and in select retail stores nationwide beginning at 12:00 PM CDT on Wednesday, May 28, 2025.
“The Answer” is the culmination of the first empirical study in the United States comparing bourbon aging in Kentucky vs. Texas to better understand how climate impacts flavor and proof. To isolate the effect of local climate on bourbon aging, the Milam & Greene team distilled a batch of bourbon in Bardstown, Kentucky, in October 2019 using its proprietary yeast strain and specific mash bill. Half of the batch stayed and aged in Bardstown, Kentucky, while the other half was immediately shipped to Blanco, Texas, to age in the rickhouse at the Milam & Greene distillery. All the bourbon rested in 53-gallon barrels.
“We wanted to better understand how temperature fluctuation between the two environments influences flavor extraction in our whiskey, so one of the first activities we did together as a team was lay down these barrels in two states in 2019,” says Heather Greene, CEO and Master Blender at Milam & Greene. “The popular hypothesis that the hotter, drier climate significantly differentiates Texas bourbon across the board with higher oak extraction compared to a Kentucky bourbon is a good one, and now you can taste it. I encourage other distilleries in Texas to iterate on our findings, though, and I suspect many will come up with similar results. This is exciting.”
Bardstown has colder winters with an average temperature of 40°F in January, warm summers with an average temperature of 86.5°F in July, and higher humidity ranging from 65 to 85%. Higher humidity promotes slower evaporation at 2-4%, creating a final proof of 108 in the Kentucky-aged sample.
The climate in Blanco is warmer with milder winters, averaging a temperature of 60°F in January, record hot summers during the experiment, averaging a temperature of 93.7°F in July, and lower humidity ranging from 50–60%. The rapid and dramatic temperature changes that happen within just a month in Blanco are also worth noting, compared with Kentucky. The evaporation rate in Blanco was often greater than 10% per year, producing a natural final proof of 116.
Milam & Greene Whiskey conducted interim sensory analyses, and then a final sensory and chemical analysis after five years to measure differences in 10 compounds that correlate with sensory elements in the whiskey. The results are intriguing. There were differences in the ppm (parts per million) of all naturally occurring compounds measured, such as acetaldehyde, methanol, propanol, ethyl acetate, butanol, furfural, phenylethyl alcohol, and variants of methyl butanol and methyl propanol. Compounds that produce woodier characteristics on the palate showed a higher ppm in the Texas-aged Bourbon than the fruitier, flowery “estery” notes of the Kentucky-aged bourbon.
“Individually, each bourbon is delicious, and batched together, the combined bourbons also create gorgeous, complex whiskey,” says Greene. “This experiment puts a spotlight on everything we do at Milam & Greene as we bring together the best casks aged in different states, or as in our sell-out Wildlife Collection, bringing whiskey down to Blanco to age for extra flavor extraction. We understand how to get the best characteristics of whiskey from each state to shine through in a blend. Our team emphasizes that while the chemical analysis of the whiskey is exciting, nothing compares to the human experience of nosing and tasting.”
This study opens the door for further research using advanced techniques. Greene and team plan to age barrels in different parts of Texas as well as ship their Texas pot-distilled whiskey to Kentucky.
“I hope this ignites a lively conversation amongst our friends and colleagues in whiskey making,” says Greene. “This is a story of how nature writes itself into whiskey.”