New Bourbon is Second in 2024 Wildlife Collection

Milam & Greene Whiskey introduced the second release of the 2024 Wildlife Collection: Mockingbird Single Barrel Bourbon, a limited-edition, cask-strength spirit.

The Wildlife series explores how extreme weather in the Texas Hill Country influences flavor development of aging bourbon and brings awareness to Texas Parks and Wildlife causes. Mockingbird Single Barrel Bourbon is part of this year’s collector theme which highlights the beautiful and intriguing birds of Texas. It will be available exclusively on the Milam & Greene Whiskey website and in the distillery tasting room beginning at 3 p.m. (CST) on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (Note: The Wildlife Single Barrel Bourbon Collection continuously sells out online.)

Milam & Greene Mockingbird Single Barrel Bourbon is named for the state bird of Texas which is medium sized with a big personality. Northern Mockingbirds, found throughout Texas year-round, are slender and gray with a long tail and a bold white stripe on each wing. Its signature trait is its ability to mimic the songs of other birds as well as environmental sounds.

Mockingbirds use mimicry as a means of communication to attract mates, establish territory, and ward off potential threats. Mockingbirds are also known for their adaptability to diverse urban and rural habitats and resilience to harsh environmental conditions, like the barrels aging in Milam & Greene rickhouses experience in Texas.

“Each release of our Wildlife Collection starts with the selection of excellent, young whiskey barrels, then applying my understanding of how the aging process will affect the final taste,” Heather Greene, Milam & Greene Whiskey CEO and 2023 Master Blender of the Year, said in a news release. “By carefully studying the impact of the climate on aging whiskey, we better understand how the sense of place will be reflected in each of our barrels. We are looking for differentiating factors that are harnessed by climate, barrel fill, and age that happen when whiskey is matured in various locations.”

Milam & Greene Wildlife Collection Mockingbird Single Barrel Bourbon is pulled from cask #519, yielding only 173 bottles of this limited, 128.21 proof cask-strength release. Mockingbird Single Barrel Bourbon was distilled in Tennessee with a mash bill of 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley. It was barreled in Tennessee on March 8, 2016, where it was aged six years and seven months.

It was then brought to Texas and aged a further year and four months in extreme drought and a once-in-a-generation ice storm on the north side of the Milam & Greene Rickhouse #2.  Mockingbird Single Barrel Bourbon was bottled on February 6, 2024, at 128.21 proof or 64.1% alcohol by volume after aging for a total of seven years and eleven months.

“Mockingbirds frequent the distillery year-round,” Milam & Greene Whiskey Distillery Manager Rikk Munroe said. “They can be seen chasing other birds off and are sort of the bullies of the bird world out here on the property. They also love to pilfer my perfectly ripe tomatoes seemingly moments before I go to harvest them. They are funny like that.”

Milam & Greene Mockingbird Single Barrel Bourbon is available for $149.99 only on the Milam & Greene website and in the distillery tasting room. This very limited release of 173 cask-strength bottles is sure to sell out quickly. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each bottle of the Milam & Greene Wildlife Collection will benefit the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation.

To learn more about the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation, visit www.tpwf.org. For more on Milam & Greene, visit https://www.milamandgreenewhiskey.com.