Milam & Greene Whiskey announced the release of Roadrunner Single Barrel Bourbon, the fourth cask-strength whiskey in its 2024 Wildlife Collection.

The limited-release Milam & Greene Wildlife Collection showcases how the environmental conditions in the Texas Hill Country impact the flavor of aging bourbon. This year’s collector theme is the intriguing birds of Texas, and proceeds benefit the Texas Parks and Wildlife causes. The Roadrunner Single Barrel Bourbon will be available exclusively on the Milam & Greene Whiskey website and in the distillery tasting room beginning at 3:00 p.m. (CDT) on Wednesday, August 21, 2024.

“Each single barrel release in The Wildlife Collection is a case study of the impact on the Texas heat cycle in developing flavors,” Heather Greene, Milam & Greene Whiskey CEO, said in a news release. “The Milam & Greene rickhouses are not temperature controlled, so when it gets hotter the whiskey expands into the pores of the barrels and reacts with the oak to extract compounds. As the weather cools the liquid contracts and the whiskey seeps out of the wood creating intense, complex aromas and flavors that make each barrel of this whiskey unique. The Roadrunner Single Barrel Bourbon endured one of the hottest, driest summers in Texas and was also exposed to several cold snaps.”

Milam & Greene Roadrunner Single Barrel Bourbon is named for the large ground-dwelling bird native to the arid deserts and scrublands of the southwestern United States and Mexico. Roadrunners would rather run and walk than fly and are distinguished by their long tail which aids in balance and acts like a rudder when running. These amazing birds run as soon as three weeks after hatching and can eventually sprint up to 17 miles per hour.  

“Roadrunners hang out during the warm summer months patrolling the grounds at our distillery in Blanco for small snakes and lizards,” Milam & Greene Whiskey distillery manager Rikk Munroe said. “We’ve affectionately named our favorite bird of the bunch ‘Meep Meep’ as she loves to show off her blazing speed for visitors like the roadrunner in the famous cartoon. We recommend that wily whiskey lovers mark their calendars for a wild chase because we expect this release to sell out as fast as ‘Meep Meep’ races around the distillery grounds.”

The Wildlife Collection: Roadrunner Single Barrel Bourbon

This limited cask-strength Milam & Greene Wildlife Collection Roadrunner Single Barrel Bourbon was pulled from cask #507, yielding 143 bottles of 130.1 proof (65.05% ABV) whiskey. It 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 for six years and seven months. It was then transported down to Blanco, Texas, and aged on the south side of Milam & Greene Rickhouse 1 for an additional one year, six months, and twenty days. Roadrunner Single Barrel Bourbon was bottled on April 26, 2024, at 130.1 proof / 65.05% ABV after aging for a total of eight years, one month, and twenty days.

A beautiful auburn-colored whiskey, Roadrunner Single Barrel Bourbon is loaded with aromas of leather, raisin, dark fruit, marshmallow, and almond. It has powerful cherry, vanilla, maple syrup, rye bread, and malted candy flavors and finishes with long, sweet notes of maple syrup.

Milam & Greene Roadrunner Single Barrel Bourbon is available for $149.99 only on the Milam & Greene website and in the distillery tasting room beginning at 3:00 p.m. (CDT) on Wednesday, August 21, 2024. This extremely limited release of only 143 cask-strength bottles is expected 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.  

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