Penelope Bourbon: Architect Build 10, Barrel Strength Batch 18, and Toasted Bourbon Batch 24-301

I’d like to thank the folks at Penelope Bourbon and their PR team for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

A couple of weeks ago, I got a fun package from the founders of Penelope Bourbon sharing the newest batches of three of their four core expressions. Two of which, we’ve never looked at before. And since we’ve got a lot to cover tonight, let’s skip the usual blathering and jump right into the bourbons, shall we?

Penelope Toasted Series Batch 24-301

Description from the Producer: Our Toasted Series is a testament to the power of serendipity. When we began to explore toasted finishes, we weren’t expecting each barrel to be so different — so we decided to embrace this variety of chars and toasts that make every bottle in our Toasted Series truly one-of-a-kind. After full maturation in charred new American oak barrels, Penelope Bourbon is finished in a new, hand-toasted barrel. While it can be hard to predict the flavor profile of each bottle in our Toasted Series, the deep notes of vanilla imbued by the toasting process add another dimension to our signature flavor profile. Whether you’re into a Heavy Toast or Medium, our Toasted Series truly offers something for everyone.

Purchase Info: This sample was sent by the producer for review purposes. The retail price on their website is $69.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.67

Details: Mash Bill: 75% Corn, 21% Rye, 4% Malted Barley, 50% ABV. Char Level: 5. Toast Level: Heavy. 4 years old.

Nose: Bubblegum, honey, and a faint note of nutmeg.

Mouth: Cinnamon, nutmeg, honey, and bubblegum.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth with sweet notes of honey, bubble gum, and cardamom.

Thoughts: If you are a fan of bourbons that are bubblegum/almond forward you will love this one. I'm reading it as bubble gum and honey with various baking spices. It isn't hot but has a nice flavor. I like this one.

Penelope Barrel Strength Batch 18

Description from the Producer: Penelope Barrel Strength is bourbon in its purest form. Completely uncut and non-chill- filtered, our barrel strength bourbon is just as delicious and even more powerful than our signature Four Grain blend. Each batch of our Barrel Strength is blended from three bourbon mash bills and aged in hand-selected new American oak barrels, imparting notes of caramel syrup and subtle barrel char and pushing the boundaries of our Four Grain’s balanced flavor profile.

Purchase Info: This sample was sent by the producer for review purposes. The retail price on their website is $65.00 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.33

Details: Mash Bill: 80% Corn, 8% Rye, 9% Wheat, and 3% Malted Barley. Blend of three straight bourbon mash bills distilled in Indiana. 57% ABV. Aged 4 to 6 years.

Nose: Strong caramel notes start you off. Followed by notes of oak, vanilla, red fruit, and cinnamon.

Mouth: Whoo that's warm! Follows the nose though the emphasis is different. This starts with hot cinnamon candies followed by sweet caramel, vanilla, and oak.

Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium with notes of cinnamon red hots and honey.

Thoughts: This is a nice, hot bourbon. Though not nearly as hot as you'd expect a 114° proof bourbon to be. You could drink this neat with little trouble if you are comfortable with triple digit proofs. I really like it. When we looked at this last year, it was batch 14. I was a big fan then and I still am. I’d buy a bottle of this without hesitation.

Penelope Architect Build 18

Description from the Producer: Architecture is defined as the the art or practice of designing and constructing buildings. Using those same principles, we wanted to build new and distinct flavor profiles that same way an Architect creates new innovative structures. Working in collaboration with Tonnellerie Radoux of France, the market leader in oak barrel manufacturing and innovation, we use French oak staves and their their state-of-the-art OakScan® process to build a truly precise flavor profile within every bottle. After all, the best architecture leaves no room for error. (Editorial note: OakScan is a process used to measure the tannin level of a particular piece of wood that was developed by Tonnellerie Radoux.)

Purchase Info: This sample was sent by the producer for review purposes. The retail price on their website is $65.00 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.33

Details: 75% Corn, 15% Wheat, 7% Rye, and 3% Malted Barley. Straight bourbon whiskey finished with two different types of French Oak Staves. Delicate Stave (low tannin content) and Intense Stave (medium tannin). 52% ABV. Aged 5 years with 6 weeks of finishing.

Nose: Dried grains, toffee, bubble gum.

Mouth: 1980's Baseball card bubblegum, floral vanilla, allspice, and oak tannins.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Notes of baking spice, toffee, vanilla, and oak.

Thoughts: Are you too young to know the wonderful flavor of baseball card bubblegum from the 1980s? Think hard bubblegum mixed with a little wax and cardboard. Sounds terrible, right? But weirdly I always enjoyed it. I've gotten this note on other whiskeys before but in this case, I'm not sure it is working for me. There is nothing wrong with the bourbon. It just isn't hitting right for me. I'm going to give this a neutral rating.

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Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond, Spring 2024

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

I have been a hurtin’ unit the last couple of days. Spending nine hours shoveling mulch and moving it with a wheelbarrow will do that to an old guy like me. And speaking of wheelbarrows. I noticed something about myself as I was tiredly pushing that wheelbarrow on Sunday. I can’t actually say the word wheelbarrow. Instead, I say wheel-barrel. Even in my head, it’s more like a whiskey container with wheels than the yard and garden implement.

I don’t know if this is an Eric thing, a Northern Wisconsin thing, a redneck thing, or some combination of all three. But it was a weird thing to notice about myself. I’m guessing it is a family thing, which honestly would be a mix of all three. My family has a long habit of making up weird pronunciations for words. My dad would “trace” things instead of chasing them. His mom would ask me to make her a “hand sammich” when she went camping with us (instead of a ham sandwich). I guess I come by it naturally.

Anyway, let’s move over to tonight’s bourbon, shall we? Tonight we are looking at the most recent release in the Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond series. One of the few bottles that are over $100 that my wife would probably purchase just for the bottle. This is really weird to me as we have an empty bottle of the vintage design that these were based on. Of course, you don’t get really tasty whiskey with that vintage empty, either, so maybe that’s why.

Quoting from the press release now:

“Heaven Hill's stewardship of the Old Fitzgerald brand over the past quarter century has honored the legacy of John E. Fitzgerald," said Heaven Hill Master Distiller Conor O' Driscoll. "The Spring release showcases the premium quality and craftsmanship of Old Fitzgerald which has been cherished by fans, not just for decades, but for generations.”

These are usually really tasty, so let’s see if this one stacks up.

Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond, Spring 2024

Purchase Info: This 200 mL sample was provided at no cost for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $139.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $9.33

Details: 50% ABV. 10 years old.

Nose: Oak, caramel, cherry, vanilla, and hint of mint.

Mouth: Caramel, vanilla, chocolate, nutmeg, and oak.

Finish: Warm and of medium length with a lot of baking spice notes.

Thoughts: This is delicious. It's warm and spicy all the way through with a lot of baking spice. It is sweet and tasty. It’s more than I’d want to spend on a bottle of bourbon, but I do like this. A lot.

Somebody get me a wheel-barrel full. Or not. I can’t even imagine what that would cost.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, B524

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

IMAGE: A bottle of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Proof: 130.6, Age: 12 Years, Batch No: B524, Alc/Vol: 65.3%, placed on a wooden surface outdoors.

Ok. So I use ChatGPT to write the Alt Text description for the cover images because I am always a bit amazed at what it pulls from the photo that I don’t think about mentioning. I don’t need to count the words, I just say “Summarize this photo in 150 characters or less” and it spits out something that works. (If you were unaware, Alt Text is the short bit of text that is included in the website code so that the image is adequately described for those who use a screen reader. I mean it’s an easy thing to include, why would I want to alienate someone from reading my writing just because they don’t see as well as I do?)

So I was doing that and, as I often do, I asked it to come up with something on the fly. I’m old enough that these Large Language Models are basically magic to me (much like VCRs, personal computers, the internet, and streaming video were before it). Because I will spend much of the weekend moving eight cubic yards of mulch from my driveway to our garden, I asked it to write something lamenting that fact that then transitions into the intro to this review. I didn’t expect the AI to write anything that I would use, but it was the thing on my mind. I learned a long time ago that as a creative person, sometimes you need to work through a bad idea so your brain can give up on it in order to move on to a good one. In my puny human brain, I thought that maybe I could outsource that step to the AI. But then the damn thing wrote a poem. And for some reason, I found that mildly amusing. And so, since we’ve been covering Elijah Craig Barrel Proof three times a year since 2019, I figured, I would share that poem. I mean, you guys know what is going on with this product by now.

A Mulch Mover's Lament

In the sweltering heat of June, I toiled,
Eight cubic yards of mulch, sweat-soaked and soiled.
With every shovel's lift and wheelbarrow's haul,
My weary muscles strained, yet stood tall.

The sun bore down, unyielding in its glare,
Each mound of mulch seemed a mountain to bear.
Blisters formed and my back cried out in pain,
Yet onward I pushed, again and again.

The scent of fresh earth filled the air around,
A bittersweet reminder of the task so profound.
As hours stretched on and shadows grew long,
My strength began to waver, though my will remained strong.

But as the final pile was spread and laid,
A sense of accomplishment gently stayed.
Exhaustion gave way to a quiet pride,
In the garden's transformation, far and wide.

A Well-Deserved Reward

After such a grueling day of laborious care,
A moment of respite was beyond compare.
I reached for a bottle, rich and profound,
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, a treasure to be found.

With its deep amber hue and robust grace,
This bourbon promised a sensory embrace.
At 130.6 proof, it stood bold and tall,
A spirit to savor as evening began to fall.

Join me as I uncork this barrel-aged delight,
And journey through flavors, rich and bright.
From mulch to masterpiece, the day's work now done,
Let's explore this bourbon, sip by glorious sip, one by one.

Ok. See? This shit is weird. Which is why I like to play with it. I honestly didn’t even consider a poem. And by the way, because I drink a lot of bourbon, the pain it references will be there, but muscles standing tall? Not so much.

Anyway, let’s see if this beast of a bourbon is any good, shall we?

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, B524

Purchase Info: This sample was provided at no charge by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $74.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.00

Details: 65.3% ABV. 11 years, 2 months.

Nose: Vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, cherry, chocolate, and oak.

Mouth: Vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, chocolate, nutmeg, oak, and a hint of mint.

Finish: Long and warm with lingering notes of nutmeg, allspice, and chocolate.

Thoughts/Comparison to last time: The noses are very similar with A124 showing the same notes, just more pronounced. B524 is sweet, spicy, and very hot. A124 feels almost cool by comparison and shows more cherry/fruit in the mouth. B524 is very "stereotypical bourbon” in the best possible way and I am loving it. Both are delicious but give me B524 if I get to choose.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Larceny Barrel Proof, B524

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

This will be the fourteenth look at Larceny Barrel Proof. We’ve been reviewing and enjoying it since the beginning. That said, I was thinking that maybe we’ve done it a little too often.

Then, I looked at the analytics. You guys really seem to enjoy them. Or rather, Google does. In any case, these Heaven Hill Barrel Proof reviews get a lot more traffic than others, so I’m just going to keep riding it. Plus, it’s a whiskey that I don’t have to buy. And I like not buying whiskey almost as much as I enjoy drinking whiskey. When I was growing up, when asked what his favorite beer was, my uncle would always say “free.” As I get older, I see more and more wisdom in that statement.

Anyway, like I said, we’ve looked at this thirteen times previously, so you all know what is going on. Let’s just jump into the review.

Larceny Barrel Proof, B524

Purchase Info: This sample was provided by Heaven Hill for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $64.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.33

Details: 62.7% ABV. 6-8 years old, per the press release

Nose: Cinnamon, brown sugar, and oak.

Mouth: Black tea, cinnamon, chocolate, and floral notes.

Finish: Warm and on the longer end of medium with notes of cinnamon, oak, mint, and chocolate.

Thoughts/Comparison to last time: B524 shows more sweet cinnamon on the nose. On the mouth, I'd say that B524 is sweeter and more vibrant, while A124 is richer in flavor. Both are good, and my wife and I are split over which one we like better. I prefer the rich caramel and oak notes of A124, while she prefers the sweet and vibrant B524. But I like both and this one gets a smiley face from me.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Blood Oath Pact 10

I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Lux Row for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

Hello, my friends! As I write this, I am in the midst of last-minute packing for a flight to Albuquerque. My wife is currently there for a work training seminar and we thought it might be nice for me to join her for the weekend after it’s finished. You know, get away before the summer rush happens in our dog-sitting business. By the time you read this, I will probably be in the air sipping a glass of bourbon while watching a movie.

But since I am super busy tonight, and since we’ve covered all of the Blood Oath releases but the second over the last ten years, I thought I’d just pull an extended excerpt from the press release to help explain what is going on in this version rather than skipping the post and waiting until next week.

ST. LOUIS (April 23, 2024) – Lux Row Master Distiller and Master Blender John Rempe marks a decade of distinction – and secrecy – as he renews his annual pact with bourbon drinkers by releasing Blood Oath Pact 10 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey double finished in Cabernet Franc and Merlot casks. A limited supply of 17,000 (3-in) cases will arrive at retail this month at a suggested price of $129.99 per 750 ml bottle. As with all of Rempe’s pacts, Blood Oath Pact 10 is offered at 98.6 proof (49.3% ABV).

Blood Oath Pact 10 combines some of the finest rare bourbons Rempe could find, including two well-bred ryed bourbons and one finished bourbon each complementing the others. In honor of Blood Oath’s double-digit age milestone, Rempe achieved a double finish for this year’s special, secret blend. The first finish was perfected in Cabernet Franc barrels, imbuing rich flavors of tart raspberries and black pepper. The second finish was refined in Merlot barrels, instilling the tastes of red stone fruits with undertones of vanilla, cocoa and anise. The result is a delicious and distinctive pour.

For a decade Rempe has sought out famous and forgotten rare bourbons and bottled them in combinations for his limited-release Blood Oath Pacts. Not to cater to anyone’s loyalties, he has sworn to never reveal where he finds his bourbon, but only promises to choose and make the best he knows.

“We wanted to create something truly distinctive and unique to mark our 10th edition of Blood Oath and we did just that,” said Rempe. “For this offering I sourced three extraordinary bourbons that could be elevated even further through a double finish in Cabernet Franc and Merlot casks, and would ultimately deliver the kind of rich, fruit-forward notes and smooth drinking experience I wanted to achieve. It’s a superb blend and I’m excited to share it.”

So now that you know what is going on, let’s get back to what you are actually here for. How does it taste?

Blood Oath Pact 10

Purchase Info: The producer provided me with this sample bottle at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price for a 750 mL bottle is $129.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $8.67

Details: 49.3% ABV. Part of the blend was barrel-finished in Cabernet Franc and Merlot Casks.

Nose: Caramel, cherry, tobacco, and smoky oak.

Mouth: Cinnamon spice, caramel, tobacco, and oak.

Finish: Medium in warmth and length. Notes of caramel-covered red fruit, tobacco, oak, and after a bit, cinnamon pops back up.

Thoughts: This is a pretty consistent flavor experience from nose to finish, with many of the same notes popping up throughout. The mouth starts out sweet, but the longer you hold it in there to tease out the notes, the more the sweetness fades to dry oak notes. This is delicious! My wife has declared that if we see this, she is buying a bottle. That is considerable praise from someone who is as frugal as a long-time accountant can be. I really like it too.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.