Breckenridge Buddy Pass: Imperial Stout Cask Finish Whiskey landed on my desk at 114.7 proof, carrying a $55 price tag. Here is what I found.
Nose
The color of a penny. Leaves a watery line on the side of the glass.
Palate
Root beer, cream soda, honeysuckle, and milk chocolate. A little sweet and a little spicy. I tried the stout and the whiskey side by side, and I dont think my palate is sensitive enough to taste the family resemblance in either one. I enjoyed them both I just cant say I could taste the barrel influences crossing back and forth. As for the whiskey on its own merits, its solid. For $55, in fact, I think its tending toward good. There are other whiskeys in the same price range and with the same quality profile, but probably not a lot of other whiskeys that give you a chance to buy a beer and a whiskey as a match set.rnrnIf you find yourself in Breckenridge, for the novelty value alone, Id say that pairing would make it worth the price. (One caveat: The cork on my bottle broke off inside the bottle. That forced me to use a corkscrew, and then pour the whiskey into a decanter. I have no idea whether to chalk it up to just bad luck, or a problem with Breckenridges corks.)
Finish
Mash bill undisclosed; Breckenridge Bourbon finished an extra 13 months in Breckenridge Imperial Oatmeal Stout barrels; 114.7 proof/57.35% alcohol by volume; Batch no. 2 reviewed here; around $55 for a 750 ml bottle. Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by Whiskeyful 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.
The Bottom Line
Breckenridge Buddy Pass: Imperial Stout Cask Finish Whiskey is a perfectly respectable whiskey that does what it sets out to do. At $55, the value is reasonable — it will not blow your mind, but it will not disappoint you either. A reliable choice.
