The fifth edition of the Collectors Art Series releases July 1. This year, the distillery partnered with muralist and painter Miles Toland to create a breathtaking label and mural as a partpart of its limited release, the Breckenridge Calvados Cask Finish.
You can visit the fifth edition of the Collector’s Art Series mural in the RiNo Art District (Entrance in alley, 3537 Delgany St, Denver, CO 80216) in Denver, Colorado. In this edition of the Collectors Art Series, his design captures a transcendent moment in nature—where a figure, surrounded by Colorado’s Rocky Mountains and lark buntings, dissolves into a mandala of harmony, balance, and unity.
“Blending is everything in my paintings,” says Miles Toland. “Just like whiskey, it’s about creating bridges—between shadow and light, between form and formlessness. To have my work featured on a bottle of whiskey is an exciting fusion of two art forms that celebrate complexity and craftsmanship.”
Breckenridge Distillery Founder, Bryan Nolt says shares that Miles’ work dives into the mystical and unseen, and that mirrors the sensory journey we try to create with our whiskeys. “This collaboration is another chapter in our ongoing celebration of blending—color, spirit, and culture,” says Nolt.
Breckenridge Distillery’s Collectors Art Series limited release whiskies have garnered multiple awards over the years, including: 2023 Best Blended LTD Release and 2020 Icons of Whisky for Campaign Innovator of the Year at the World Whiskies Awards, and a Gold at the 2020 and Double Gold at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competitions.
About the Artist
Miles Toland is a painter from Santa Fe, New Mexico and now lives in Spokane, Washington. He finds an even split between making studio art and painting large scale murals around the world. His artwork explores the mysterious places we visit between sleeping and waking. Within these liminal realms he uses geometric patterns to express the spiritual energy of his subjects and their connection to nature, the elements, and the greater unknown.
About the Founder
AROMA:
Rich aromas of freshly peeled red apples mingle with warm oak and creamy vanilla, accented by a delicate hint of cinnamon spice.
PALATE:
A smooth entry of caramel, baked apple, and vanilla unfolds into layers of sweet oak and peppery spice. The finish lingers with a comforting touch of cinnamon.
47.5% ABV (95 PROOF)
$5 per bottle sold will be donated to benefit Keep RiNo Wild (KRW), whose mission is to provide and advocate for permanent, affordable community creative spaces within the district, to support and bolster the artist community, as well as provide educational programming, events, classes and experiences for all ages, backgrounds, and socio-economic groups.
DIFFERENT IS DOPE
By Liquid Chef, Billie Keithley
- 2 oz Breckenridge Sauternes Cask Finish
- ¾ oz Pineapple Juice
- ½ oz Prickly Pear Simple Syrup*
- 4 Mint Leaves
- 1 Lemon Wheel
- ¾ Orange Wheel
Instructions: Add pineapple, prickly pear, lemon, mint and orange to a shaking tin. Muddle. Add Sauternes Cask Finish and ice. Shake and double strain over ice.
Garnish: Pineapple, dragon fruit and mint bouquet.
*Available at local retailers
Gallery Coming Soon.
What People are Saying
Some combos are fundamental: champagne and strawberries; Starsky and Hutch; peas and carrots. But some pairings are more obtuse, yet inherently natural. For Bryan Nolt, founder and CEO of Breckenridge Distillery, who creates art out of corn, rye and barley, the confluence of bourbon and art was inevitable.
After all, it takes the perfect blend of ingredients, pure Rocky Mountain water and time to create one of most the highly awarded craft bourbons in one of the highest distilleries on the planet.
– Written by Katie Coakley
Some combos are fundamental: champagne and strawberries; Starsky and Hutch; peas and carrots. But some pairings are more obtuse, yet inherently natural. For Bryan Nolt, founder and CEO of Breckenridge Distillery, who creates art out of corn, rye and barley, the confluence of bourbon and art was inevitable.
After all, it takes the perfect blend of ingredients, pure Rocky Mountain water and time to create one of most the highly awarded craft bourbons in one of the highest distilleries on the planet. In 2018, Whisky Magazine awarded Breckenridge Distillery the Icons of Whisky award for Brand Innovator of the Year, exemplifying the creativity and innovation that is inherent in each bottle.
On July 30, 2019, Breckenridge Distillery embarked upon a unique collaboration: its inaugural Collectors Art Series, which illustrates the art of blending whiskey through the art of blending color. Denver-based muralist Thomas “Detour” Evans created a “whiskey barrel mural” on 10 Breckenridge Distillery barrels to illuminate a unique blend of these two crafts for both art and whiskey enthusiasts to enjoy.
“Proper blending is an art, not easily learned, and something I’m sincerely passionate about,” Nolt said. “We wanted to emphasize this connection with another type of art that people could identify with and hopefully pause for a second or two, connect the dots, and really enjoy the art in their dram. Smell and taste are just as powerful as vision, and we think focus helps you to intensify these subtle pleasures.”
Choosing Detour for this first collaboration was almost a foregone conclusion. The eye-catching artist, who is known for his bold, colorful portraits, created a vibrant scene on the barrels that blends the beauty of Breckenridge with his signature portraiture that is both relatable yet inspiring.
“My philosophy with creating art on various platforms is all about trying to compose a piece that lends itself to amplify that platform,” Detour said. “So, for the barrels, creating a composition that has large color blocks, but also relates to the actual subject matter—so, Breckenridge-in-the-mountains type of the thing—and then having a figure, which can give you more of an attachment to it. That is the concept I was going for when creating on this platform/canvas.”
The finished barrel mural was on display to the public at the Breckenridge Distillery through September. The 100% grain-to-bottle whiskey was then released for sale at select Colorado locations in October. Each bottle was adorned with a special label highlighting the collaboration, artwork and the passion behind the Breckenridge Distillery.
“I think the artistry of making and blending whiskey parallels the passion of artists like Detour and the splendor his works deliver,” Nolt said. “This collaboration is simply about evoking those emotions through graffiti and the artistry of whiskey.”
The Detour series is the first in the Breckenridge Distillery Barrel Art Collectors Series. The second iteration of this series, featuring work from another artist, will premier in 2020.
‘Different is Dope’: Breckenridge Distillery Taps LA Artist for Whiskey Release That Honors the Beauty fo the Blend
Breckenridge Distillery announced in June that the Colorado distillery joined forces with Los Angeles, California-based artist Abby Wren in the fourth release of the brand’s Collectors Art Series. The whiskey was finished in Sauternes casks and features a custom, brightly colored label created by Wren herself. Wren uses her art to champion inclusivity, often featuring intergalactic images of aliens. She additionally works as a makeup artist and digital creator, according to her website. In 2006, she was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease Alopecia Totalis and lost her hair and eyebrows as a result. She found makeup, and according to her biography “hasn’t looked back since.” Wren views her bald look as a canvas for creative expression, and she serves as an inspiration within the beauty community.
Breckenridge Sauterns Cask Finish
The brand-new Breckenridge Sauternes Cask Finish is hitting the shelves with a label made from Los Angeles artist, Abby Wren. Wren is an award-winning artist and advocate, using her artistry to bring awareness to her message of inclusivity, “Different Is Dope!” After losing all her hair to the autoimmune disease Alopecia, Wren began using bold, creative makeup to express her femininity uses hidden aliens in her work, as she relates to their intergalactic wonder and beautiful bald heads—which can also be found on the whiskey label.
Building the Ultimate Bar Cart
Where to Find
Map Coming Soon.
THE BOTTLES
Breckenridge Distillery
1925 Airport Road
Breckenridge, CO
Main Street Tasting Room
137 S. Main Street
Breckenridge, CO
THE ART
3560 Chestnut Place
Denver, CO 80216
*You can find the artwork on the backside Number 38 in the alley between Chestnut Place and Delgany. Look for our 2022 Mural from Alexandrea Pangburn.
