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The Texas Military Institute constructed and moved into a distinctive-looking building near the state capital in Austin in 1870. The prep school stayed in the Victorian Gothic building with a pair of castle-like turrets for only about a decade, before moving and eventually becoming part of Texas A&M. But the Castle Hill Historic District, named after the building, occupies 39 acres of west Austin to this day and has become a well-known mostly residential neighborhood.
Heather Greene, chief executive and master blender at Milam & Greene Whiskey, works out of “The Castle” and has adopted the Castle Hill name for a special release that leans hard into the art of blending. The second release in the Castle Hill Series includes 26 barrels of 13- or 14-year-old bourbons, reportedly sourced from Tennessee. It comes bottled at cask strength.
Milam & Greene says the special releases are intended to “celebrate… the art of batching well-aged casks.” Given the age of the whiskey involved and the number of different batches being blended – eight in this case – they seem to be backing up the promise of that premise.
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Greene wrote the book on whiskey, or a book, anyway. These releases seem designed to give her an opportunity to play with the art of blending, which should be fun to see develop in future years. In the meantime, we’ll check in on Batch 2.
Tasting Notes: Milam and Greene The Castle Hill Series Batch 2
Vital stats: Blend of 26 barrels of Tennessee straight bourbon, all aged at least 13 years in new American oak; reportedly sourced from George Dickel; 111 proof/55.5% alcohol by volume; MSRP of $149.99.
Appearance: Dark brown, with solid legs on the glass.
Nose: Rich and sweet, like Bit-O-Honey candies and Twix. It brings large doses of traditional bourbon scents like brown sugar and vanilla. The intensity is mouth-watering.
Palate: In the mouth, it’s very different than it was on the nose. This is a mild and well-mannered whiskey, which is a little surprising at 111 proof. Think brown sugar, caramel, and vanilla, with a slight touch of cinnamon spice and a long, luxurious finish.
