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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