Breckenridge Distillery’s new whiskey blends art and whiskey in a XO Cognac

Art and whiskey have a lot in common. They both require creativity, a vision, and the desire to push the envelope challenging their audience. 

In many respects whiskey is a form of liquid art, however, Breckenridge Distillery’s latest release takes that a step further by collaborating with a local artist to create the label. 

Taking its Collectors Art Series to the next level, Breckenridge Distillery introduces its new limited release XO Cognac Cask Finish Whiskey featuring a custom art label by Alexandrea Pangburn.

Pangburn, who is originally from Kentucky before moving to Denver, is the first female artist ever featured on the Breckenridge-based distillery bottle.

“I’m very honored to have my art on a whiskey label in a very male-dominated industry,” says Pangburn. “My hope is that this partnership opens the eyes of female artists that they have the capability to do this as well.”

The label features a colorful floral and animal scene that Pangburn painted which is patterned after her street mural on the back of Number Thirty Eight in Denver’s famed RiNO Arts District, known for its street art. The mural wraps around the XO Cognac Finish whiskey bottle and is slowly revealed and changes as the whiskey drains from the bottle.

“I’ve always had a passion for art, which led me to distill whiskey in the first place. The Collectors Art Series is special to Breckenridge Distillery because it allows us to highlight local artists making an impact in their community like Alex is doing in Colorado,” said Bryan Nolt, founder, and CEO of Breckenridge Distillery in a release. 

“Alex’s focus on conservation and representation of the natural world around her through art made her a perfect partner for our second Collectors Art Series. We’re thrilled to bring her art to life in this limited-edition whiskey.”

The whiskey is described by the distillery as, “inviting aromatics of grape with a hint of clove and cinnamon.”

The special edition whiskey will be available in limited quantities exclusively at the Breckenridge Distillery and the Main Street Tasting Room in Breckenridge, Colorado for $125.

I recently had the opportunity to attend the release of the limited whiskey at Station Twenty Eight in Denver where Pangburn’s mural shines. I chatted with Pangburn about her inspiration for the mural over a dram of the new XO Cognac whiskey. 

As much as whiskey is a blending of ideas and culture, so Pangburn’s mural stems from her roots in her native Kentucky and her newfound love for Colorado. Growing up in Lexington, Kentucky, Pangburn developed a love for whiskey as well as animals. Thus the label showcases a fox with a crown representing her hometown of Lexington. The other animal is the Western Tanager, which she featured on her first Colorado mural.  

As pretty as the bottle is, the big question is, how is the whiskey inside?

The XO Cognac is produced with the famed grapes from regions in France. Breckenridge Distillery imported barrels from there, which had housed Cognac for anywhere from 10-37 years. They then aged their whiskey in the barrels for just over 2 years. The cask finish imparts an interesting taste for their second Collectors Art Series.

Breckenridge Distillery was kind enough to provide me with a bottle at the whiskey’s release party. Here are my tasting notes from this new bottle.

Whiskey: XO Cognac Cask Finish

Distillery: Breckenridge Distillery

Location: Colorado

Proof: 96

Cost: $125

                   Website: https://breckenridgedistillery.com/

 

• • Appearance: A copper amber brown color in the glass.
  • Aroma: Very sweet with a fruity buttery nose. I get some honey, burnt sugars, cherry, and plum. It has a nice, sweet aroma.
  • Taste: A sweet creme brûlée with hints of sugars, dark cherries, and plum. There are also tinges of a peppery spice. 
  • Finish: A medium bodied finish complete with some peppery heat that lingers with some smoke that comes in at the end.
  • Overall: This is a complex, sweet whiskey. The cognac imparts a thick set of fruit and peppery heat. This is a great after dinner drink or around a campfire this summer with friends. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Breckenridge Distillery Collector Art Series No. 2 video: