Tastes

Spicy grainy sawdust nose… Leads to a fluffy, full-bodied palate, leaning sweet. Maple syrup and waffles. Cinnamon and caramel. There’s oak and vanilla too, but that nose didn’t prepare me for all the sugar. Syrupy finish with some leather and tobacco as the sugar fades.

Nose is sweet and rich like a cinnamon caramel apple pastry. Palate brings more of the same with leather and tobacco. The tobacco, cinnamon and apple linger on the finish. Gomer’s private barrel. 10 years old, 131 proof.

Crisp dark sawdust nose with a hint of rye. Further sniffing reveals hay, raisin, butterscotch, caramel, vanilla and orange…or is it apple…or peach. The fruit is a moving target. Palate follows up with an added creamy egg custard sweetness that deserves the invocation of creme brûlée right down to the burnt sugar…more than other brûlée-like bourbons I’ve tasted. There’s leather and tobacco lurking too, maybe even candied apple. Long, sweet, baking spices and toffee finish with a hint of pepper. So good. Re: the expert review, either her olfactory system was broken that day or mine is. Deserves a comp with High West Prairie Bourbon barrel select.

Apple cider nose. Apple palate too, with a more filled in oak, cinnamon, clove, brown sugar, vanilla profile. Smooth from all that age. Finish is lingering and tannic with the spices sticking around.

I’ve already had the cask strength version and loved it so i guess I’m doing this backward. Honey, hay and violet nose. Reminds me of creme de violette in a mildly spicy rye cocktail. Palate is more of the same. Not many whiskeys are this flowery and botanical. Pepper and caramel undertones, but nothing gritty. Ends on the same soft, aromatic, wistful note.

Bright corn and honey, mild spice.

The 3% barley shows up on the nose and adds a dark woodsy varnished brown sugar note to the apple, hay and honey with a hint of rye. Before taking a sip I suspect this will be my favorite Penelope so far. Palate reminds me other strong apple pie bourbons like some of the E Craig and Larceny barrel proof. Dickel 13 year would make an interesting comp. Malt influence mostly disappears, but the brown sugar and caramel hang around with leather, oak and pepper. Very harmonious, all the players getting along. Smooth pepper, oak and cinnamon finish. Wouldn’t elevate this above the EC or Larceny, but it’s a nice variation with extra backbone for Penelope and the 9 year age statement and 109 proof are welcome. Makes a great consolation prize if you can’t find the allocated bottle you’re looking for. Batch #23-202

I get the hay and honey nose I associate with Penelope along with some vanilla, flowers, seasoned oak and rye. Tongue is predominantly sweet bread, apple, caramel and clover honey, with cinnamon and pepper making an appearance at the edges. Smooth peppery finish. Nicely balanced and hides the 104 proof well.

Floral orange blossom and honey nose grounded in serious barnyard sawdust. Oily mouthfeel as caramel, honeyed oak, pecans, and leather show up alongside stewed fruit and chalky clay. Leathery pepper and cinnamon finish. The Barrell private releases can be hit or miss. This one is above the grade.

Punchy cherry sawdust nose accurately forecasts the syrupy cherry, vanilla palate with some oak and leather to keep things out of sugar bomb territory. Spicy cinnamon sandalwood finish. Not what I’d call complex but it’s quality.