Breckenridge Blended Bourbon

Breckenridge Bourbon 43%   This was another Flaviar sample. I had sampled a Breckenridge years ago and honestly it didn’t leave much of an impression on me.   The smell on this is a huge blast of rye dill spice.  Smelling and tasting blind I thought this was a rye whisky.   As it turns out it’s very high rye (38%) and it certainly shows in the smell.  Past the rye dill spice you can also get some traditional corn sweet caramel smells.   The taste, like the smell is dominated by the rye.  Again…when tasting this blind I thought for sure this was a rye whisky but those sweet corn and caramel flavors show up after the initial rye blast.  Very nice flavor on this.   The finish is short to medium, like the rest of this whisky it’s rye that fades into the corn sweetness.   Overall I think this is a good bourbon but not all will like it due to it’s high rye content.  If you like bourbons with a good grassy rye dill kick to it then I suggest you try this one.  I do like this but it’s a little boring overall for me.  I feel like the Rye content is just enough that I want to go and grab a rye whisky instead of drinking this Breckenridge in front of me. It’s definitely a good bourbon and I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a high rye take on a craft bourbon.   Overall Grade: C+    

A balanced, Blended Bourbon Whiskey by Bryan Nolt founder of Breckenridge Distillery in Colorado that is all about the pure, mineralized, snow-melt water. It is crafted with a high-rye mash bill of 56% corn, 38% rye, and 6% malted barley that then aged in char #3 new, American oak barrels for about 3 years. It is then blended with straight bourbons from Kentucky, Tennessee & Indiana; before being bottled at 86 proof. It has an aromatic birth with notes of grains, wood, fruits, nuts, herbs & spices; while an elegant life adds notes of banana, molasses, honey, toasted dark bread; that led to a long & spicy death with notes of oak, vanilla, white pepper, roasted pecans. April / May 2020 / August / December 2022 / January 2026

These notes are from a blind tasting (Flaviar Advent Calendar) The smell is a nice mix of both sweet corn and corn husk. You also get brown sugar, some dill, menthol, and then clove shows up. The taste is candy corn, brown sugar, and toasted vanilla to start then some nice rye dill spice and clove to round it out. There isn’t much going on but what is there is pretty nice. The finish is medium - the rye spice and clove are the dominant flavors on the finish. I enjoyed this one. I’d happily have this on the shelf if the price is right. Pretty decent stuff.  Overall Grade: C+  (Above Average)

Had this Breckenridge with dinner this afternoon. Drank with a large ice cube... Not much to say about this one. Apparently, it's on the "young" side. Aged "about 3 years", it says. The light copper color is the first indication. Very light nose, and very light and smooth on the palate. Slightly sweet and spicy. Short finish. I could see as a mixer, or perhaps an entry level pour for folks just getting into bourbon and whiskey.

Tasted this on our honeymoon in Breckenridge and decided to buy a bottle for old times sake. It smells sort of piney. Mild flavor and soft on the tongue. Almost peaty/woody flavor? Not my favorite- wish there was some more flavor there, but I don’t regret the purchase based on price and nostalgia. Pretty cool that the water was melted snow… good marketing.

A fruity and toasty bourbon on the nose. There is definitely some rye in this one as it has a note of spice as well. Smooth to taste and goes down quickly. Spice and vanilla lingered. If you enjoy the smoke and oakyness of a bourbon along with the spice that a rye offers, this is probably the drink for you. A decent sipper but a bit immature.