Review #271 - Breckenridge Port Cask Finish
Breckenridge Distillery, out of Colorado, produces a number of unique riffs on their bourbon whiskey through the use of various finishing casks. Here, we have the Port cask example - batch 13, to be specific.
The bourbon is finished for an unspecified amount of time in Tawny Port hogsheads, which should add some syrupy dark fruit flavors and softness, according to the brand's website. It's bottled at 45% ABV (90 proof).
Breckenridge Port Cask Finish
USA - Bourbon
Current Locally Available Price: USD 55 (2024)
Age Statement: 3 Years
Strength: 45% ABV
Cask Makeup: Tawny Port cask finish
Details: Batch 13
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 10 months; bottles at 100% and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Sweet dessert, quite rich - caramel, bruleed sugar, strawberries, or a raspberry smoothie. Hints of darker flavors like raisin, chocolate, and prunes come in, along with some rum sauce; the oak is quite soft, and there's a hint of corn spirit.
Palate: A medium-thin mouthfeel; lots of fruit notes. Tart strawberry preserve, tannic red wine, plums, prunes, and fig. There's a syrupy texture as the palate continues - caramel sauce and chocolate sauce come later, along with hints of grape.
Finish: Sweet and young-tasting; ex-wine notes still dominate, bringing juicy red and purple fruit, as well as some caramel. Medium length, with spicy wood notes and cedar lingering, along with a hint of vanilla bean.
Final Note: The 3 year age does start to come out later in the palate and into the finish - young bourbon, but the overwhelming port fine finish does a decent job of masking it for most of the experience. Definitely a cask story, not a lot of the distillate still remaining in the flavor; the mouthfeel lives a little bit to be desired, as well. Value is average at least, as this has a reasonable price.
Our Average Rating: 6.1 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.56
