Breckenridge Distillery: Whiskey PX Cask Finish, Blended Rye Whiskey & Peach Flavored Whiskey Reviews

 

If you can pardon the double entendre, Breckenridge Distillery claims it is the “highest distillery in the world.” It was founded in 2008 by Bryan Nolt, a former radiologist. He was on a fishing trip in 2007 at the Mohawk Lakes near Breckenridge, Colorado, when the idea struck him that he could use Rocky Mountain water to make spirits. The distillery sits at roughly 9600 feet above sea level.

 

“Since coming online in 2008 and releasing its first vodka and bourbon three years later, Breckenridge Distillery has quickly become an award-winning producer of fine spirits, being designated one of the [best] bourbons in the U.S. How it all came to be, however, stems from a mix of just the right ingredients, a hint of luck and a deep love for quality whiskey.” - Breckenridge Distillery

 

Breckenridge Distillery is owned by Tilray Brands, Inc., a major entity in the cannabis-lifestyle and consumer packaged goods industry, doing business in Canada, the USA, Europe, Australia, and Latin America.

 

While Breckenridge does distill on-premises, “produced and bottled” appears on their labels, which could indicate that they still blend with sourced whiskeys from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana. I couldn’t garner much information from its website.

 

Recently, Breckenridge Distillery launched Breckenridge Peach Flavored Whiskey, made with peaches from Palisade, Colorado, and blended with its high-rye Bourbon mash. I’ll review that today, along with its Rye Blended Whiskey and Whiskey PX Cask Finish. Breckenridge Distillery was kind enough to send me samples of each in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest reviews. Let’s #DrinkCurious and discover what they’re all about!

 

Before we get started, to eliminate redundancy, I used a fresh Glencairn glass and tried each whiskey neat. I also waited 15 minutes from the time I filled the glass until I began nosing.

 

Breckenridge Blended Rye Whiskey

 

• Whiskey Type: Blended Rye
• Distiller: Undisclosed
• Age: 5 years
• Mashbill: 80% rye, 14% corn, and 6% malted barley
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
• Alcohol Content: 50% ABV (100°)
• Price per 750mL: $45.00

 

Appearance: The orange-amber-colored whiskey created a thick rim with randomly spaced, thicker, fast tears.

 

Nose: The aroma included a fruity smell of red currants, followed by mild rye spice, milk chocolate, earth, and straw. As I took the vapor into my mouth, I ran into more straw.

 

Palate: The Rye’s texture was soft and creamy, and spearmint dominated. I took a second sip, which helped define straw, rye spice, and mint on the front, which immediately transitioned to spearmint on the mid-palate, along with cocoa and earth. The back tasted of very sweet oak, vanilla, and red licorice.

 

Finish: Sweet oak, vanilla, and red licorice remained in my mouth and throat. It was incredibly mild and, despite the stated proof, lacked the classic character you’d expect from a 5-year-old Rye whiskey. Just before it fell off, spearmint surged. The duration lasted 1:46, sending it well into the long venue.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Breckenridge Blended Rye Whiskey was unlike most Ryes I've come across, and that's because it isn't a typical American Rye. Sure, it had the right notes, but to have the spice up front and in the middle, yet leaving the back and finish sweet is very unusual.

As a Blended Rye, it must contain at least 51% straight whiskey and may contain neutral grain spirits (NGS) and other blending materials, such as coloring and flavoring. It doesn't mean that it has to. Based upon the mashbill, that would seem to exclude neutral grain spirits (NGS). I'm curious what the "blended" part of Blended Rye suggests. 

I liked the sweetness. I liked the spearmint less; however, it didn’t wash out the other flavors. Considering this is a 5-year-old, 50% ABV expression, it is fairly priced, and I believe it deserves my Bottle rating.

 

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Breckenridge Whiskey PX Cask Finish

 

• Whiskey Type: Bourbon
• Distiller: Undisclosed
• Age: 3 years
• Mashbill: 56% corn, 38% rye, and 6% malted barley
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels, then finished in PX Sherry casks
• Alcohol Content: 45% ABV (90°)
• Price per 750mL: $59.99

 

Appearance: The whiskey had a sienna appearance; the liquid produced a thin rim with pencil-thin, compact tears.  

 

Nose: When I brought the glass beneath my nostrils and inhaled, I encountered raisins, dried figs, orange zest, chocolate, and oak. Drawing the air through my lips provided notes of leather and fudge.  

 

Palate: The first sip revealed a rich, silky texture and strong notes of figs and oak. The second let me discern flavors of figs, raisins, and chocolate on the front of my palate. The middle included orange zest, dates, and leather, while the back featured vanilla, oak, and clove.

 

Finish: Tastes of clove, oak, chocolate, leather, dates, and figs seemed glued to my tongue and the roof of my mouth. It had a slightly drying effect. It was very level and lasted 1:25, putting it on the border of medium to long. Clove and chocolate were the last to fall off.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Whenever I find a Pedro Ximenez (PX) finished whiskey, it is an attention-getter. That’s because, except in very rare cases, there is a ton of character and flavor to contend with.

 

Breckenridge Distillery used PX casks from a solera that is “hundreds of years old.” Of course, that doesn’t tell us which bodega it came from; honestly, that’s unimportant.

 

Whiskey PX Cask Finish didn’t disappoint me. I found nothing to complain about, including its price. Am I curious what it tastes like at cask strength? Absolutely. However, in its present form,  if you, like me, are a huge fan of PX-sherry finishes, you’re going to want to buy a Bottle. You won’t have any regrets.  

 

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Breckenridge Peach

 

• Whiskey Type: Flavored Whiskey
• Distiller: Breckenridge Distillery
• Age: NAS
• Mashbill: Undisclosed High Rye Bourbon blend and Palisade peaches
• Cooperage: Undisclosed
• Alcohol Content: 36% ABV (72°)
• Price per 750mL: $34.99

 

Appearance: The honey color seemed inviting and pretty much what I anticipated. A medium-thick rim left crazed, thick, fast tears.

 

Nose: Expectedly, the nose was full of peaches and, surprisingly, Jolly Rancher Green Apple candies. No matter how much I sniffed and where I positioned the glass, I found no other notes. Taking the vapor into my mouth, I found more peaches.

 

Palate: Breckenridge Peach had a dense yet creamy texture, making it abundantly clear that this was an adult beverage rather than some watered-down liqueur. There was also a somewhat sour note on the palate. I took a second try, and I tasted stewed peaches with a hint of cream. There was no front, middle, or back.  

 

Finish: The finish was all stewed peaches and mild cream. It was relatively mild. However, at about 34 seconds in, the sour note returned. At 1:54, the flavors faded, leaving a very long finish.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I really didn’t enjoy the sour peach notes, especially since that lasted well over a minute on the finish. If those notes were typical peach, I would give this one a better rating. Unfortunately, I did not like it at all, so my Bust rating is the best I can do. 

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Final Thoughts: Firstly, my previous experience with Breckenridge Distillery has been relatively unimpressive. The last time I tried it was back in 2021. We’re a full five years later, and I’m assuming more of its distillate is in the blends. Breckenridge Distillery has come a very long way in a better direction. 

 

In order, I enjoyed the Whiskey PX Cask Finish the most. Next came the Blended Rye Whiskey, followed by the Peach Flavored Whiskey. This was a fun day. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit, but begs you to do so responsibly.