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Bourbon Review: Breckenridge Whiskey Finished In XO Cognac Casks

A Breckenridge limited release whiskey finished in cognac casks. This is a high-rye bourbon mash aged for a minimum of three years before being finished in cognac casks.

OVERALL RATING

8
N/A
  • Charles Steele is an attorney and whiskey enthusiast with a penchant for the peculiar.
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Tasting Notes

About:

Breckenridge limited release whiskey finished in cognac casks. This is a high-rye bourbon mash aged for a minimum of three years before being finished in cognac casks. Cognac is a sweet, distilled wine from France. While Breckenridge doesn’t expressly state who they purchase their casks from, they do provide the following information: “. . . The blend comprises 15% Petite Champagne and 85% Grande Champagne, typically aged in batches of 300 barrels. These Cognacs mature for an impressive span of 10 to 37 years, with an average aging period of 25 years.” Breckenridge Distillery ages their whiskey for over two years. Cognac Cask Finish Whiskey was first introduced in Series Two of the Collectors Art Series in 2022. Breckenridge Cognac Cask Finish won Best American Blended Limited Edition at the 2023 World Whiskies Awards. The Whiskey Wash reviewed the original release back in 2022.


Appearance:
Straw or summer wheat with an amber hue.
Nose:
Cognac envelops the senses with sweet white grapes, honey and molasses. There are softer notes of vanilla, coke-cola, warm oak, and ripe cherries. Overall the nose is mellow and extremely inviting.
Palate:
The charred American oak barrels come through on the tongue. You’re drinking whiskey not sipping on cognac, which I found to be pleasant. The flavors evolve into grape skins, cognac notes of dried fruit and flowers. There is honey comb, clover, cola, rye bread, and almonds. A lot of earth tones softened by sugars and savory wine to add complexity and depth.
Finish:
Full body finish with this. We are transported through a highlight reel of the palate before fading into softer honey, toast, and tannins. Wonderful hold.
Comments:
There is a nice balance between the Cognac and the rye bourbon. They both do a good job of dancing on the palate. One will take center stage for a moment and allow the other to come front and center.

This does a great job of melding complex flavors. Whiskey, especially young high-rye bourbon, can be plagued with sharp earth tones like esters, oak, char, and even chemically flavors. Cognac finish can, in my experience, try too hard to put a sweet coating on a bitter pill. Thus you end up with a mix-match whiskey that just doesn’t quite equal the sum of it’s parts. Here, though, you have wonderful flavors working together to create a lovely sip.

This is a whiskey that could be a really lovely gateway drug for the whiskey-curious friends in your life. The proof is high enough that it feels like alcohol but the sweetness helps temper that trepidation.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Charles Steele

Charles Steele, a Portland-based attorney, is a native of the Pacific Northwest. His legal background provides him with an analytical approach to understanding whiskey and other aged spirits. Primarily a legal writer, freelancing for The Whiskey Wash offers Charles a unique opportunity to showcase his versatility as a writer. Although his preference lies with whiskey and whiskey-based cocktails, he has a profound appreciation for all unique and unconventional liquors, from Malört to Ojen - if it's peculiar, he's intrigued.

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