Whiskey Dreams – Breaker

I am always on the look out for new whiskeys whenever I am out and about, so i was super excited when I saw this Breaker on the shelf at my local store.

Breaker

I poured my usual two fingers into my favorite Yeti Tumbler and swirled it around so I could breath in the sweet aroma of this deep amber bourbon before I took a sip.

The Nose

The nose on Breaker hits hard, but in a good way. There are a lot of things too appreciate on the nose. There is vanilla and citrus that blends really nicely with caramel that ends with a nice bit of spicey pepper.

The Palate

While the nose was amazing, things really fell apart on the first sip. The Rye and spice just don’t work for me.

The Score

I know I don’t like strong Rye whiskeys, but I keep trying. Unfortunately, I found that Breaker was not something I enjoyed. I’m giving it a 29/100, making it Just Bad. I was able to drink a few sips before pouring it out and going to my stand by, Basil Hayden’s.

Color

Overly brewed tea.

Proof

45.0% ABV

Pros

  • Sweet nose with hints of vanilla.
  • Deep amber color that invites you to sip.

Cons

  • Surprisingly rough. I expected this to be smooth.
  • The nose was better than the palate.
  • Too expensive to use for mixers but not smooth enough to drink straight.
BottleScorePrice
Redbreast Cask Strength97$100 / 750ml
High N’ Wicked The Wild Rover Single Malt Irish Whiskey97$160 / 750ml
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon96$65 / 750ml
Redbreast 12 Years96$70 / 750ml
Jameson The Distiller’s Safe95$70 / 750ml
Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon94$45 / 750ml
Redbreast Lustau Edition92$65 / 750ml
Redbreast 1591$115 / 750ml
The Dubliner 10 Year89$70 / 750ml
Tullamore D.E.W. 14 Year81$65 / 700ml
Jameson IPA Edition80$30 / 750ml
Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition Irish Whiskey80$125 / 750ml
Don Julio 194280$190 / 750ml
Basil Hayden’s75$35 / 750ml
Jameson Irish Whiskey75$25 / 750ml
John L. Sullivan Irish Whiskey72$25 / 750ml
Tullamore Dew Caribbean Rum Cask Finish Irish Whiskey72$30 / 750ml
Bushmills 10 Year Irish Whiskey72$50 / 750ml
Clyde May’s Original Alabama Style Whiskey71$35 / 750ml
Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey70$40 / 750ml
Paddy’s Old Irish Whiskey70$20 / 750ml
Kirkland Irish Whiskey65$18 / 1500ml
Wellsley Farms Irish Whiskey65$28 / 1500ml
Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey62$65 / 750ml
Stillhouse Black Bourbon61$20 / 750ml
Jameson Orange55$30 / 750ml
Buffalo Trace55$25 / 750ml
Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey51$30 / 750ml
Knob Creek Small Batch49$35 / 750ml
Blade And Bow48$50 / 750ml
Proclamation Irish Whiskey44$30 / 750ml
The Temple Bar Irish Whiskey40$60 / 750ml
Redemption Bourbon 40$30 / 750ml
Natterjack Irish Whiskey35$35 / 750ml
Baha Founders Reserve30$65 / 700ml
Woodford Reserve29$35 / 750ml
Breaker29$65 / 750ml
Pure Kentucky28$35 / 750ml
Stranahan's27$60 / 750ml
Egan’s Fortitude Irish Whiskey26$45 / 750ml
Winchester Extra Smooth Bourbon Whiskey15$30 / 750ml
Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey10$20 / 750ml
Hill Billy Bourbon9$20 / 750ml
Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey5$25 / 750ml
The Busker Irish Whiskey4$35 / 750ml
Kavanagh Irish Whiskey3$25 / 750ml
The Balvenie 14 Years Caribbean Cask1$100 / 750ml
American XXX Born Bourbon Whiskey1$25 / 750ml
Pops McCann0$40 / 750ml
Silkie Irish Whiskey0$30 / 750ml

Whiskey Dreams – Winchester Extra Smooth Bourbon Whiskey

I like to try new bourbons. Sometimes I find things that surprise me by how good they are, and other times I end up with something like this Winchester Extra Smooth Bourbon which left me feeling cheated that I spent $30 dollars on it.

The first sip made my eyes go wide as the whiskey slid over my tongue and hit the back of my pallet. It feels thin and has a strange aftertaste that is hard to describe, other than it reminds of me of my days working at a chemical plant and accidentally getting a whiff of petroleum products that made your throat burn.

The distillers at Winchester Extra Smooth Bourbon pride themselves on using a purification/accelerated maturation process to remove harsh-tasting congeners from their whiskeys. The whiskey itself is aged a minimum of 6 months. Both those sentences should scare you. Whatever they did, it results in some really funky flavors.

Overall, Winchester Extra Smooth Bourbon earned its 15/100 score and I’m still shivering at the memory of the taste.

Winchester Extra Smooth Bourbon Whiskey

Color

Medium coffee.

Proof

45.0% ABV

Pros

  • Maybe you can use it to clean tools?
  • Both my cats wanted to be in the picture.
  • Six points better than Hilly Billy.

Cons

  • Thin mouth feel.
  • Strange unpleasant aftertaste.
BottleScorePrice
Redbreast Cask Strength97$100 / 750ml
High N’ Wicked The Wild Rover Single Malt Irish Whiskey97$160 / 750ml
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon96$65 / 750ml
Redbreast 12 Years96$70 / 750ml
Jameson The Distiller’s Safe95$70 / 750ml
Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon94$45 / 750ml
Redbreast Lustau Edition92$65 / 750ml
Redbreast 1591$115 / 750ml
The Dubliner 10 Year89$70 / 750ml
Tullamore D.E.W. 14 Year81$65 / 700ml
Jameson IPA Edition80$30 / 750ml
Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition Irish Whiskey80$125 / 750ml
Don Julio 194280$190 / 750ml
Basil Hayden’s75$35 / 750ml
Jameson Irish Whiskey75$25 / 750ml
John L. Sullivan Irish Whiskey72$25 / 750ml
Tullamore Dew Caribbean Rum Cask Finish Irish Whiskey72$30 / 750ml
Bushmills 10 Year Irish Whiskey72$50 / 750ml
Clyde May’s Original Alabama Style Whiskey71$35 / 750ml
Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey70$40 / 750ml
Paddy’s Old Irish Whiskey70$20 / 750ml
Kirkland Irish Whiskey65$18 / 1500ml
Wellsley Farms Irish Whiskey65$28 / 1500ml
Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey62$65 / 750ml
Stillhouse Black Bourbon61$20 / 750ml
Jameson Orange55$30 / 750ml
Buffalo Trace55$25 / 750ml
Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey51$30 / 750ml
Knob Creek Small Batch49$35 / 750ml
Blade And Bow48$50 / 750ml
Proclamation Irish Whiskey44$30 / 750ml
The Temple Bar Irish Whiskey40$60 / 750ml
Redemption Bourbon 40$30 / 750ml
Natterjack Irish Whiskey35$35 / 750ml
Baha Founders Reserve30$65 / 700ml
Woodford Reserve29$35 / 750ml
Breaker29$65 / 750ml
Pure Kentucky28$35 / 750ml
Stranahan's27$60 / 750ml
Egan’s Fortitude Irish Whiskey26$45 / 750ml
Winchester Extra Smooth Bourbon Whiskey15$30 / 750ml
Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey10$20 / 750ml
Hill Billy Bourbon9$20 / 750ml
Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey5$25 / 750ml
The Busker Irish Whiskey4$35 / 750ml
Kavanagh Irish Whiskey3$25 / 750ml
The Balvenie 14 Years Caribbean Cask1$100 / 750ml
American XXX Born Bourbon Whiskey1$25 / 750ml
Pops McCann0$40 / 750ml
Silkie Irish Whiskey0$30 / 750ml