Here in the Northeast, with the cold weather looming, it seemed like a wonderful idea to attend an outdoor yoga class on one of the season’s last mild days. A half dozen of us unfurled our mats on a patch of flat grassland near the Sound one late afternoon and practiced gentle stretches and poses for an hour or so. Our lovely teacher provided post-practice snacks--a home-baked mushroom tart and warm mulled apple cider--but the hit of our snack-time was the bottle of Breckenridge Port Cask whiskey she placed alongside the cider.
The idea of spiked mulled cider sounded good, but I wanted to start my Breckenridge Port Cask experience with a generous dram of the whiskey neat, straight into the mug. The red-amber whiskey went down smoothly, releasing a rich autumnal mix of rye-heavy spice, sweetness and dried fruits. I would have happily enjoyed more of this sublime whiskey straight, if not for my fellow yogis crowding the snack table. But, I can report that the peppery Port Cask Finish also blends beautifully as a subtle counterpoint to the warm mulled cider
Breckenridge, based nearly 10,000 feet up in the Colorado Rockies, is proud to call itself the world’s highest distillery, and it’s said they even use mountain snowmelt water to bring the whiskey to 45 percent ABV before bottling. Their Port Cask Finish starts as Breckenridge’s best-selling blended bourbon ( with a mash bill of 56 percent yellow corn, 38 percent green rye, 6 percent barley), which is then aged from 3-6 months in used Portuguese tawny port casks. This finishing gives the whiskey a lush mouth feel in addition to the notes of port and raisin, but because of the additional aging, it can no longer be labeled bourbon (which may only be aged in charred new American oak casks).
Whether it’s called bourbon or whiskey doesn’t seem like such a big deal. All La Bourbonessa has to say to Breckenridge Port Cask Finish is "Namaste", which means, "I bow to you".
Recipe for mulled cider:
In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm a half gallon container of apple cider adding several of the following to taste:
Cinnamon stick, 2-3 cloves, allspice, slices of fresh ginger, orange peel
Pour into mugs and enjoy!
La Bourbonessa, Barbara Champan
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