Seems strange but today it is only Talking Bourbon with Ron and Todd, no guest tasters. We are sipping on Breckenridge Bourbon Whiskey, Special Release from Colorado.
We are not sure what the Special Release means since every bottle we have ever seen has that on it. This is a blend, and while it is made in CO, only part of the blend is distilled there, the rest of the Bourbon comes from Kentucky and Tennessee. They blend it then age it for just 2 to 3 years, then get it to proof by adding snow melt from the Rockies.
Readily available, 96 proof and sells for $40 to $50 for the 750 ML. Comes in a corked medicinal looking bottle.
NOSE
Ron: I had to really concentrate to get something on the nose. Just faint aromas of toffee, apples, citrus and spice.
Todd: My first thought on the aroma was pleasant, not a lot there but smelled nice. Going along with Ron’s point, I had to really think hard to get much more. Eventually getting some leather and spice.
TASTE
Ron: As with the nose, everything I tasted took effort and was somewhat faint. I did get a little anise, chocolate, spice and a some clove. A few cubes reduce the taste even more.
Todd: Just okay neat, I found that adding ice brought out the flavors a little more. Even then I didn’t get a lot, some rye and maybe a little fruit. Not near all the stuff Ron got. I did find it very smooth.
Ron: Remember I said it took some effort to dig out those tastes.
FINISH
Ron: A decent medium length finish with nuances of anise, clove and a band aid type flavor.
Todd: Medium to short finish with a nutty, caramel taste.
OVERALL
Ron: Not a very complex Bourbon but a smooth drink with ice. At $40 or over I find it is too expensive for what you get. I do think it is cool that the water source is from Rocky Mountain melted snow.
Todd: I don’t know, the melted snow thing sounds kinda gimmicky. I have said this before about some other Bourbons, reminds me of Crown Royal, real smooth but not very complex. Strangely, the first time I had this I liked it a lot more. Changing tastes I guess.
Nose 3.5 out of 5
Taste 8 out of 10
Finish 3.5 out of 5
Total 15 out of 20 Barrels
Price was a big factor in judging Breckenridge, and while we scored it low, it would have been lower if not for Ron on the taste. We both came up with quite a few other Bourbons that we would buy at this price or lower. We also couldn’t get over the fact that it was only aged 2 -3 years. That is not even enough to be called Straight Bourbon Whiskey which has to be aged 4 years. Why the steep price? You would think melted snow was free.
Having said all that, we are a little confused, all the research on the Internet talked about the awards it has one, and everybody seemed to like it. We have some friends that are big fans. Maybe our taste buds were off, don’t know. what we decided was that we would come back to this on a later daet and try it again. But as of now, we think there are a lot better Bourbons for that price.