Milam & Greene Whiskey Cooper’s Hawk Single Barrel Bourbon Is Ready to Take Flight

BLANCO, TEXAS (November 13, 2024) — Milam & Greene Whiskey is capping off its wildly popular 2024 Wildlife Collection with the release of Cooper’s Hawk Single Barrel Bourbon. The sixth and final cask-strength whiskey release in this year’s Milam & Greene Wildlife Collection explores how climate and weather impact the final flavor and proof of aging bourbon. The 2024 Wildlife Collection theme pays tribute to the beauty of the wild birds spotted throughout Texas, and proceeds benefit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation. Cooper’s Hawk 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, November 20, 2024. 

“We track the specific effect of how the Texas environment influences and enhances flavor development right down to the barrel placement to select the barrels for the Milam & Greene Wildlife Collection,” says Heather Greene, Milam & Greene Whiskey master blender and CEO. “We don’t regulate the temperature and have plenty of natural airflow through our rickhouses, which allows the outside weather conditions to play a part in the whiskey aging process. When Cooper’s Hawks hunt, their attack maneuver is to fly fast and low to the ground. The barrel we selected for the bottling of this special Cooper’s Hawk Single Barrel Bourbon was aged on a lower rack where the temperature is slightly cooler than the top rack. In a northern climate that might result in lower alcohol, but not in Texas. The massive temperature swings and extended periods of triple-digit heat in our rickhouse fostered rich and complex flavors and high alcohol proof.”

Milam & Greene Cooper’s Hawk Single Barrel Bourbon is named for the medium-sized bird which is often seen patrolling the skies above the distillery in Blanco. The distinctive reddish mahogany bars on the belly of the Cooper’s Hawk are reminiscent of a beautiful bourbon color. These birds are extremely fast flyers, and the Cooper’s Hawk Single Barrel Bourbon is expected to sell out just as fast.

This limited cask-strength Milam & Greene Wildlife Collection Cooper’s Hawk Single Barrel Bourbon was pulled from cask #505, yielding 149 bottles of 128.1 proof (64.05% 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 eight months. It was then transported to Blanco, Texas, and aged on a low rack on the south side of Milam & Greene Rickhouse 1 for an additional year and eight months. Cooper’s Hawk Single Barrel Bourbon was bottled on July 15, 2024, at 128.1 proof after aging for a total of eight years, four months, and nine days.

Mahogany in color, Cooper’s Hawk Single Barrel Bourbon greets the nose with aromas of caramel, vanilla wafer, dark cherry, toasted oak, and almond. On the palate, notes of decadent bread pudding and glazed donuts unfold, balanced by ripe apricots and a touch of aged cigar box. The finish is long and peppery, leaving a lasting impression with layers of malted milk balls, cola, and freshly baked yeast rolls. This is a complex, deeply satisfying bourbon with a memorable depth of character.

Milam & Greene Cooper’s Hawk 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, November 20, 2024. With just 149 cask-strength bottles available, this exclusive release is anticipated to sell out swiftly. Keep informed about all Milam & Greene Whiskey limited releases by signing up for the newsletter, watching the countdown clock on the website, and following on Facebook and Instagram.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each bottle of the Milam & Greene Wildlife Collection will benefit the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation.  

Milam & Greene Whiskey believes in using the best people and ingredients to create delicious, award-winning whiskey for whiskey lovers. Named after its founder, Texas entrepreneur Marsha Milam, and CEO, master blender, and author, Heather Greene, Milam & Greene Whiskey embodies the dedication and expertise of its remarkable team. Milam & Greene Whiskey is made by some of the world’s most experienced whiskey professionals, including Heather Greene, and 30-year whiskey veteran and master distiller, Marlene Holmes. Milam & Greene earned recognition as the “2023 Rising Star Spirits Company of the Year” at The Ascot Awards followed by Heather Greene being awarded “Master Blender of the Year,” and Marlene Holmes was recently named “2024 Master Distiller of the Year.”  The Milam & Greene team distills in Blanco, Texas on copper pot stills as well as in Kentucky on classic column stills, using its proprietary yeast recipe and mash bill. Aging takes place in casks with an assortment of char levels, located in rickhouses spread across four states with varying climates and terroir resulting in a variety of flavors that create the most thorough array of casks collected by any craft distiller. These casks become the ingredients from which its award-winning American whiskey range is batched to create perfection. For more information visit: milamandgreenewhiskey.com. 

Conservation is the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation’s (TPWF) heartbeat, and they invest in projects that literally breathe new life into Texas. Since 1991, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation has raised and invested over $240 million to advance Texas’ proud outdoor traditions and conserve our state’s wildlife, habitat, and natural resources. Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation's vision is for all Texans to have access to the wild things and wild places in our state, both now and for generations to come. Learn more about their work at tpwf.org.