I know almost nothing about the Breckenridge distillery from the town of the same name in Colorado. I got this sample from Michael K. at Diving for Pearls and so the following information is from his review. There is some confusion over the source of the whiskey in the bottle (it may just be easier with newer American distilleries to note when this is not the case). The distillery originally bottled bourbon distilled in Kentucky while waiting for their own distillate to come on line; around the time they bottled this one (in 2012, I think) they were apparently in the process of transitioning over from a mix of sourced bourbon and their own distillate to bottling only their own distillate. As to whether what they’re selling now is uncontroversially their own distillate I have no idea. Still, it’s notable that a) they are in fact making their own whiskey now and b) their sourced bourbon wasn’t from Indiana. These facts, alone or in combination, distinguish them from most American “craft” distillers. But is what’s in the bottle distinguished in anyway? Let’s see.

Breckenridge Bourbon (43%; from a sample received in a swap)

Nose: Corn sweetness, perfumed and cloying. After a bit there’s a lot of raspberry shot through with cinnamon, dill and mint. After a few more minutes those rye notes take over, with some cold tea joining the party, and the cloying sweetness disappears—much better now.

Palate: Big rye wallop with an interesting lemony accent. The dill is the top rye note here. Not a whole lot of wood at first but it shows up after a bit, toasted rather than raw. There’s not a whole lot going on here but it’s very nicely balanced.

Finish: Medium. Pretty much as on the palate but the mint is the lasting note. Gets a little sweeter as it goes.

Comments:I didn’t have a whole lot to say about it but it’s very pleasant, very drinkable. In many ways it’s just another American high-rye bourbon.  But I do have to say that the early citrus note on the palate makes it stand out against most of the other (mostly Indiana-produced) high-rye bourbons I’ve had—it did get more generic with time though. I’m unlikely to pay the price for a bottle but I’d not turn down a pour. If this was in fact produced by the distillery then it bodes well for their future product as they get more distilling and blending experience.

Rating: 82 points.

Thanks to Michael K. for the sample!