In new American whiskey releases this week, Milam & Greene unveils two new expressions, Breckenridge says “Different is Dope!”, and Copperworks releases a new oak matured single malt.
Milam & Greene Cardinal Single Barrel
Texas-based Milam & Greene Whiskey has unveiled the third bottling in the 2024 Wildlife Collection, which pays homage to the birds of Texas. The Wildlife Collection is a liquid-led exploration of Texas wildlife, and how it impacts the aging of bourbon.
The new Milam & Greene Cardinal Single Barrel was distilled from a mash bill comprising 84%, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley and dumped into the barrel on March 8th, 2016. It was matured in Tennessee for six years and seven months before being brought to Texas for a final 18-month maturation period in the Milam & Greene rickhouse. The whiskey was bottled from cask #506 at 64.9% ABV, yielding 130 bottles.
Tasting notes feature “honey, Nila wafers, cherry cordial, and marshmallow fluff” on the nose. On the palate, expect “pecan sandie cookies, creamed cornbread, and baking spices. This whiskey has a long finish with hints of black pepper and eucalyptus.”
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The Cardinal Single Barrel is named after the common cardinal, a small songbird native to the Americas. The males have bright red plumage, which is reminiscent of the mahogany color of the bourbon.
“Milam & Greene Cardinal Single Barrel Bourbon is named for the beautiful and captivating red bird which can be spotted year-round in the eastern two-thirds of Texas,” said Milam & Greene Whiskey Distillery Manager, Rikk Munroe. “Cardinals pass through the Milam & Greene distillery property in Blanco, Texas at various times throughout the year as they migrate north and south. It’s nice to see their pops of red in the trees as they hunt for bugs and other forage on their way to their summer and winter homes.”
CEO of Milam & Greene, Heather Greene, said: “Our rickhouses are not temperature controlled, allowing for the Texas climate to make a distinct mark on each Wildlife Collection release. The intense prolonged dry heat last summer and a couple of extreme cold snaps this winter exposed our Cardinal whiskey to climate extremes that have had a tremendous impact on how it aged, and the amount of liquid lost to the angel share from the barrel.”
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The new Milam & Green Cardinal Single Barrel will be available for $149.99 exclusively from the Milam & Green website from 3 pm on Wednesday 26th June.
Milam & Greene Distillery Edition Batch 5: 5 Year Old
In another new release from Milam & Greene Distillery, the brand has unveiled its annual grain-to-glass bourbon, a 5 Year Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
The bourbon was distilled in a 300-gallon copper still, from a mash bill comprising 70% corn, 22% rye, and 8% malted barley. It was distilled on February 13th 2019 and aged for five years, three months, and eight days. Bottled on May 24th, 2024, only 171 bottles were yielded at 59.8% ABV.
On the nose, expect aromas of “coffee, fresh-cut grass, graham cracker, almond, baking spice, cherry cobbler, and chocolate malt.” The palate is defined by “notes of honey, creamed corn, dark cherry, and biscuit,” with “peppercorn and spearmint” on the finish.
Rikk Munroe said: “The Texas climate had a big influence on the flavors of this whiskey. It has been extremely hot, super cold, bone dry, and recently oppressively humid during the span of aging this fifth release of Distillery Edition. These weather conditions affect the flavor of whiskey aging in the barrel. This particular whiskey has been subject to some of the most extreme heat and cold that Texas can throw at it, resulting in a complex yet well-balanced easy sipping whiskey. Our proprietary mash bill featuring 22% malted rye matures particularly well in extreme climates just as we designed it.
“This is the oldest Distillery Edition release to date and some of our best whiskey yet. I am very excited for this release and the subsequent Distillery Editions in the years to come.”
The new Milam & Green Distillery Edition Batch 5: 5 Year Old is available exclusively at the distillery in Blanco, Texas, for $139.99. A portion of the proceeds will go to Panhandle Proud, which supports Texan farms and ranches affected by wildfires.
Breckenridge Collectors Art Series Sauternes Cask Finish
Breckenridge Distillery in Colorado has unveiled the fourth release in its Collectors Art Series.
The new bottling was created in collaboration with Los Angeles-based artist, Abby Wren. Wren is an award-winning artist and advocate for inclusivity with her message, “Different is Dope!”.
Wren’s message is particularly close to her heart, as it has allowed her to express herself through different mediums since losing her hair to the autoimmune disease, alopecia. According to the brand press release, “Wren began using bold, creative makeup to express her femininity, and uses hidden aliens in her work as she relates to their intergalactic wonder and beautiful bald head.”
As such, Breckenridge thought Abby Wren was the perfect person to collaborate with for this release. Wren’s label design, which can also be found as a mural in Denver, CO, is bright, beautiful, and entirely unique.
$5 from the sale of every bottle will be donated to SOS Outreach, a nonprofit chosen by Wren, which works to improve outdoor access for young people.
The Breckenridge Collectors Art Series Fourth Edition was finished in Sauternes casks. It boasts aromas of “white peach, apricot, caramel, with oak and vanilla” on the nose. On the palate, expect “notes of butterscotch and reminiscent orange, beautiful oak finishes with notes of vanilla and white pepper spice.”
The new Breckenridge Collectors Art Series Fourth Edition Sauternes Cask Finish will be available exclusively at Breckenridge Distillery and Tasting Room from July 12th, 2024 for an MSRP of $125.
Copperworks Distilling Co. American Single Malt Whiskey Single Cask No.472
And finally, Copperworks has unveiled a new single cask American single malt whiskey.
Distilled from the distillery’s five-malt recipe, this single malt was matured exclusively in new American charred oak, rather than in refill casks like the previous Copperworks release. The result, according to Vice President and Co-Owner Jeff Kanof, is “a rich and robust flavor profile.
According to a brand press release, the tasting notes are as follows: “Vanilla cream-filled doughnut, citrus, and tropical fruit on top of deeper scents of leather and pipe tobacco on the nose. This whiskey has considerable heft across the palate, bittersweet with notes of dark chocolate, orange flambé, and dark brown sugar. Long and lingering, the finish continues the citrus thread with subtle florality and lingering dark chocolate bitterness.”
Bottled from single cask no. 472, only 215 bottles have been produced at 60.4% ABV.
The bottles are available online via the Copperworks website, and at the tasting rooms in Washington for an RRP of $89.99 (+ tax and shipping).
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