Breckenridge Bourbon Review: Price & Tasting Notes (2023)

Last Updated on August 22, 2023 by Lydia Martin

Even though Breckenridge is relatively young in whiskey, it prides itself on having the highest distillery worldwide, creating award-winning drams at 9,600 feet above sea level.

It holds a distinct blend in making its whiskeys.

To know more about Breckenridge bourbon, let’s dive into this article and see why this product stands out and if it’s worthy of all its recognitions. 

Here’s our exclusive Breckenridge bourbon review. Read on.

Everything About Breckenridge Bourbon

Founded in 2008, the uniqueness of Breckenridge Bourbon continues to receive multiple awards in international spirits competitions worldwide. 

It has a fascinating background, from its top-of-the-world distillery in Colorado that gives a unique location to age its whiskey to its unique blend of ingredients resulting in a great dram.

Quick Stats 

Distillery	Breckenridge Distillery
Whiskey Type & Region	Bourbon, Colorado, USA
Barrel Proof	86-proof
Mash Bill	56% corn, 38% green rye, and 6% malted barley
Age	At least three years
Average Price	Around $44 for 750ml

Tasting Notes Overview

Nose: Pronounced aromas of vanilla with creamy sweetness, perhaps a buttery concoction of baked apple pie, corn, brown sugar, and spice-like light pepper sneeze.

Palate: It has rye spice, char tags, an oaky kick, flavors of black pepper with honey, vanilla, and light notes of butterscotch, with a tinge of taste-like cinnamon-spiced cider at first taste.

Finish: It has a medium-long finish with oak and vanilla, while white pepper lingers at the end of the sip.

Color: It has a deep amber hue.

Interesting Facts About Breckenridge Bourbon 

Origin & History

Bryan Nolt, a radiologist turned distiller, founded Breckenridge’s flagship. It all started in 2008 in the skiing village of Breckenridge, Colorado, where it got its name.

Production Process 

A bottle of Breckenridge contains a high rye bourbon blended with snowmelt to reveal the unique qualities of bourbon.

It uses a quality blend of mash content distilled in a column pot still.

After distillation, the bourbon whiskey is matured for at least three years in charred new American oak barrels before it is ready for bottling.

Mash Bill & Alcohol Proof

Breckenridge whiskey has a high-quality blend of 56% corn, 38% green rye grains, and 6% malted barley on its mash bill.

After maturing, the Breckenridge bourbon whiskey ’a blend’ is bottled at 86-proof lower than the Breckenridge bourbon high-proof bottled at 105-proof.

Distillery & Ownership

The Breckenridge bourbon whiskey is distilled in Breckenridge Distillery.

Its Colorado distillery is nestled in the Colorado Mountains at 9600 feet, making it the highest distillery in the world. [1]

“Blending is a huge, huge part of our business, and a big part of what we’re proud of here,”

– Erin Solomon, Retail Manager

Initially owned by Bryan Nolt, not until last 2021 that Tilray, a Canadian cannabis company, purchased the Breckenridge Distillery. [2]

Uniqueness

Breckenridge takes pride in making award-winning blended bourbon, a high-rye bourbon whiskey created with snow-melt water.

Fresh snowmelt water from Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, located 9,600 feet above sea level, is considered naturally rich in minerals, making Breckenridge bourbon whiskey unique. 

Food Pairings

Breckenridge is a fun and delicious bourbon that is great to pair with sandwiches.

It is best with rye bread with pastrami because it will complement the high rye’s robust character.

High rye bourbons like Breckenridge are also perfect to pair with minty foods, milk chocolate, and sweet desserts.

Common Breckenridge Bourbon Price

Type	Size	Alcohol Proof	Average Price
Breckenridge Bourbon	50ml	86-proof	Around $4
	750ml		Around $38
	1.75L		Around $75
Breckenridge Reserve Blend	750ml	86-proof	Around $31
Breckenridge Spiced Whiskey	750ml	82-proof	Around $36
Breckenridge Port Cask Finish	750ml	90-proof	Around $59
Breckenridge Rum Cask Finish	750ml	90-proof	Around $59
Breckenridge Madeira Cask Finish Bourbon	750ml	92-proof	Around $59
Breckenridge PX Cask Finish	750ml	90-proof	Around $59
Breckenridge Distillers High Proof	750ml	105-proof	Around $59
Breckenridge Imperial Stout Cask Finish	750ml	114.7-proof	Around $98
Breckenridge Single Barrel	750ml	102-proof	Around $121
Breckenridge Dark Arts: Malt Mash	750ml	92-proof	Around $350

Note: Average prices are from Drizly and Reserve Bar, which may vary in your local liquor shop.

Compared to Other Bourbons 

Leopold Bros.

The Leopold Bros. straight bourbon whiskeys are also made in Colorado, but compared to Breckenridge, it has a higher alcohol content at 90-proof.

These straight bourbons are aged four years in oak barrels and use a traditional sour mash of corn and rye.

But its bottles are more expensive than Breckenridge, priced at around $56.

Old Grand Dad BiB

Old Grand Dad Bottled-In-Bond version also uses a high rye mash, 27% rye, not higher than Breckenridge.

It was aged at least four years and bottled with a higher proof of 100. 

Old Grand Dad bonded bottle is cheaper priced at around $25.

It has the definite spiciness of rye on the palate and has light oak & honey notes that develop towards the finish.

Maker’s Mark

Maker’s Mark Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey uses red winter wheat grain instead of rye in its mash bill and is bottled at a higher 90-proof.

Its whiskey’s iconic hand-dipped red wax bottle has a smoother profile and is cheaper priced at around $24.

FAQs 

Final Words 

Breckenridge has a good whiskey brand reputation, and we appreciate its predominant rye spice flavors that balance classic bourbon notes.

Its complex, gentle, and well-rounded profile is a good bourbon whiskey option if you’re looking for something more intense in a bourbon.

If you haven’t had Breckenridge yet, we recommend you try it. At its fair price point, you’ll get a remarkable dram that won’t overwhelm your palate.

References: 

1. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/04/21/2426308/0/en/Breckenridge-Distillery-Takes-Home-Two-Double-Gold-and-One-Gold-Medal-at-the-2022-San-Francisco-World-Spirits-Competition.html 
2. https://www.denverpost.com/2022/02/04/breckenridge-distillery-sold-tilray-canadian/