Cascade Spirits produces a range of branded spirits in Sisters, Oregon, and our first encounter with the operation is this “mountain whiskey,” a blend of bourbons each at least 4 years old. Precious little is known about the provenance of the whiskeys in the blend — or even how many there are — except that they “feature a high-rye mash” and are cut with local water before bottling.
Is it MGP? Kentucky? Dickel? All three? Something else entirely? Give Broken Top a taste and see if you can hazard a guess.
In what seems to be a trend in whiskey these days, Broken Top immediately hits the palate as a touch sweet, particularly on the nose. It’s not particularly corny, but rather driven by notes of baking spice, butterscotch, and a smear of pepper jam. Notes of mint and some citrus peel are also in the mix, evolving more fully formed later in the experience.
The palate is less sweet than the nose would suggest, here a modest peanut butter note unfolding to show layers of honey, clove-studded mandarins, and a slightly winey quality as it develops in the glass. I doubt there’s any sherry cask influence here, but it has something akin to that oxidized citrus note clinging to it. Air time allows a more traditional, leathery character to emerge, with toasty oak notes driving a more savory, woody finish. The 50% abv helps elevate this experience with some heat, complementing a finishing burst of pepper, a hint of prune, and notes of berries draped in chocolate.
$95 is asking a pretty penny for a four year old bourbon, but at the very least I can’t argue with the results here.
100 proof. Reviewed: Batch #1.
A- / $95 / brokentopwhiskey.com
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