Tasting notes

nose

Sultana raisin and maple syrup lead, joined by caramel, vanilla and peppery rye, with plum and a little oak spice underneath

palate

A soft entry of caramel and vanilla gives way to dark dried fruit, plum and cherry, with brown sugar, banana and warm rye spice, while a vinous dryness keeps the sweetness in check

finish

Moderate in length, with maple and raisin softening the rye spice before a dry, tannic, wine-like grip takes over and the flavors fade toward oak

Mash bill

Corn, rye and malted barley; the split for the blended base is not published. The base whiskey comes from the distillery's high-rye bourbon mash, and its own distillate is 56% corn, 38% rye and 6% malted barley. Part of the base is bourbon distilled in other states, and those recipes are not disclosed. The rye-driven spice is what the port finish is meant to round off.

Why it's craft

The finishing casks for this one are small 59-gallon Tawny Port casks, and the distillery notes that each batch shifts with the casks it gets. The base is the house high-rye bourbon, which combines whiskey distilled in Breckenridge with bourbon bought from other states. The distillery, started in 2008, sits at 9,600 feet in Breckenridge.