Breckenridge PX Sherry Cask Finish

I was really surprised by this one. Colorado, being at such high altitude and cold, I’d have imagined this young ( less than 5 yr old I think ) to be harsh and muddled. But the PX finishing seems to really round it out nicely. I bought this over to a friend’s place last night for dinner. Not ever have had this before, I was hoping it wouldn’t be a dud. Nose and palette are very dessert like. Creamy, raisins, sweet fruits. Made for a perfect post dinner dram. I believe I bought this years ago for $50. At that price, it’s a great affordable way to explore the lesser known of the Colorado whiskeys ( the well known being Stranahan’s).

A complex, Bourbon Whiskey by Bryan Nolt founder of Breckenridge Distillery in Colorado; the primary aging is in new, #3 char American white oak casks for a minimum of three years then finished in the Pedro Ximenez casks adds four to six months. It has an aromatic birth with notes of sherry, vanilla & orange blossoms; while a rich & creamy life adds notes of fig, raisin, toffee, vanilla, baking spices, almond paste, licorice & orange marmalade; that led to a long & complex death. February 2020 / August 2022

Flaviar sample box “Spirit of the Rockies” December, 2022 Sample C Pour/Color: The darkest of the three, but appears relatively light in density Nose: smells like The Mill (apartments) carpet cleaner or entering a new building First taste: Vanilla, molasses, caramels, and chocolate of a bourbon are present but noticeably soft Lingering: Dark chocolate and sweet notes linger Score: 3 (best of the three, would not buy)

Vanilla and orange with spice on the nose. Taste is orange zest, slight spice and pepper, oak (bark), very cherry on the finish with brown sugar sweetness. Finish is quick and sharp sweet cherry. Almost astringent bitterness that continues to build. This is similar to the bitter part of pecans. Overall, this is like drinking am old fashion with a bitter pecan finish.

We rented the distillery for an after hours private tour. We sampled every one of the products (11 in all) except for the Dark Arts Single Malt Whiskey. This was by far my favorite product. I already enjoyed their bourbon, and the PX Sherry casks just smooth it out a touch more and give it a nice fruity smell.

Beautiful syrupy mouthfeel taken from the highly viscous dessert wine casks it’s aged in. This bourbon starts immidatley with sweet licorice and vanilla with the later being felt throughout the experience. Strong pepper spice through the middle finishing with an almondy bitterness.