Today we are sampling a Bourbon that neither of us has tasted, Penelope Barrel Strength Four Grain Straight Bourbon Whiskey from Penelope Bourbon, a relatively new distillery. From their website. “In 2018, Mike Paladini and his wife, Kerry, found out they were expecting a baby girl, Penelope. To commemorate this occasion, Mike quickly realized he wanted to create a spirit that embodied the daily joy of celebrating life’s pleasures – big and small. Teaming up with his close childhood friend and neighbor, Danny Polise, they set out to discover and produce a Straight Bourbon Whiskey everyone could appreciate and enjoy. A company was born.”
So pretty much your wife gets pregnant, and you start a distillery, magnificent! Why didn’t we think about doing that? Better yet, why didn’t our fathers? So instead of writing about Bourbon, we could be running our own distilleries. Sigh.
Penelope Barrel Strength Bourbon sells for around $65, comes in a tall eloquent-looking corked bottle, aged 3-5 years, and is 112 proof. The mash bill consists of 75.5% corn, 14.5% wheat, 7% rye, and 3% malted barley. We are unsure of the availability of this product.
A few things, first, we are always somewhat skeptical of new whiskey from a place we have never heard of, especially if they are charging a premium price. Second, if it is a premium price, we feel like it should have a bit more age. And third, while it is becoming a little more popular, you still don’t see a lot of four-grain offerings. The vast majority of Bourbons and ryes have three. Is that good or bad? Is there a reason most bottles only have three grains? We will find out those answers and let you know.
NOSE
Todd: I can definitely smell the alcohol, along with toffee, oak, leather, and an overall fruitiness. With a little ice, the fruit became more defined, orange.
Matt: Hot, woody, and orange right off the bat. Brown sugar and tobacco coming in behind. Ice mellowed the hotness and brought out even more orange.
TASTE
Todd: Caramel is the main thing I get but there are a lot of lesser flavors going on here. There is an orange citrusy taste along with spicey peppery rye and a little corn. a little hot neat but still good, a little ice makes this very good.
Matt: Orange peel and caramel lead the way with tobacco, vanilla, honey, and spice following right behind. Ice makes it a bit sweeter. I am a fan.
FINISH
Todd: Medium long to long with some vanilla and mint.
Matt: Clean and spicey with a hint of butterscotch.
OVERALL
Todd: I liked it but did not love it. Lacks some complexity probably due to its youth.
Matt: A great Bourbon neat or on the rocks. I will keep a bottle on my shelf.
Nose 4 out of 5
Tastse 8.75 out of 10
Finish 4 out of 5
Total score 16.75 out of 20 barrels.
Well, as said we view upstarts that charge a pretty penny for their juice with a little bit of hesitation. Having said that, we also like distilleries that challenge the norm and do something different, and Penelope Barrel Strength Four Grain is definitely different. Would probably benefit from a few more years in the barrel. But overall, this is a good drink. We got the sweetness from the corn and wheat, the fruitiness of the wheat, and, the pepper and spice from the rye.
It has a good nose, a very good taste, and a decent finish. A little hot neat but not something we couldn’t drink. That heat makes for a good cocktail and holds up with a little added water. Since we have not seen it before, most of your friends probably haven’t either, so it can make for good conversation.