I’d like to thank the folks at Ross & Squibb and their PR partners for sending this sample with no strings attached.
3.8 inches! That’s how much rain we’ve gotten in the past 12 hours here in the Twin Cities metro area. And unless it happened overnight, it wasn’t like it was a catastrophic downpour. Just a lot of steady, heavy rain. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. Needless to say, I am stuck inside today. Which is why you are getting this bonus post today.
Today we are looking at a new release from Penelope Bourbon. Most of the things we’ve looked at from Penelope are interesting blends of mash bills, interesting barrel finishes, or, on occasion, a ready-to-drink cocktail. However, we’ve never looked at a Kentucky straight bourbon from them. And mostly that’s because they haven’t actually offered one until now. Being part of the MGP family, most of their whiskey uses the juice distilled right there in Indiana. So this is the first time they’ve worked with Kentucky distillate "at scale," as they say in the press release.
The bourbon was created from a mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley. It is bottled at 92 proof. The suggested retail price is $44.99 for a 750 mL bottle. It is available now in select markets but will be available nationwide later.
Let’s see how it tastes.
Penelope Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Purchase Info: This bottle was sent at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $44.99 for a 750 mL bottle.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.00
Details: 46% ABV. Mash bill: 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley.
Nose: Vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, and oak.
Mouth: Cinnamon, oak, almond, vanilla, caramel, and red fruit.
Finish: Medium in both length and warmth. Notes of almond, allspice, bubblegum, and oak.
Thoughts: Due to a miscommunication between my wife and me, we have been enjoying the heck out of this since we accidentally got a bottle a month or more ago. Yep, it got stuck in with the bottle of the Blackberry Old Fashioned that we reviewed back in early June and wasn’t intended for me at that time at all (though neither was the Blackberry Old Fashioned, so I lucked out twice). Instead, I received a lovely package a bit later containing a second bottle (the one in the photo above) and another bottle that we will be reviewing next week.
But back to the bourbon we are actually talking about. It’s just a great “every day" bourbon. Very pleasant, reasonably priced, nothing fancy (in the best way possible), and an enjoyable sip. Not so fancy that you need to devote your attention to it instead of the people around you, but good enough that you will enjoy the heck out of it. I really like it. If you are looking for just a solid bourbon to have on hand, you could do much worse than Penelope Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.