Penelope Architect Build No. 8

Nose is full of toasty goodness; fire kissed oak barrel char, burnt marshmallow, caramel syrup, campfire smoke, cinnamon roll, and lest you think it was all dessert and wood; a little bit of bright apricot. If only there wasn’t any pesky ethanol, but alas it’s there in small quantities. Palate definitely matches the nose well with added notes of creme brûlée, (both the burnt sugar and the custard), and almond butter, but with prototypical MGP brightness. There’s some surprising and welcome tangerine citrus as well. A bit of youthful sharpness keeps the flavors from having the desired depth and richness. The toasted oak comes out big time in the finish along with cinnamon, white pepper and a delicious roasted pecan nut note after everything else fades. Long finish for the proof. Mouthfeel is on the fuller side of medium bodied, and sufficiently oily. Much to like here. A quality, accessible whiskey that does the job of offering an elevated experience and a reasonable price point. Man, what I wouldn’t give for a 7-9 year version of this, but I digress. At 59.99, it’s a solid value for the price point and I will buy again.

Good flavor, decent mouth feel. Short, young finish

Nose 4 / Palate 4 / Finish 4 Fragrant nose, sweet palate, medium-short finish with equal amounts of sweet and spice. Very similar, but slightly preferred to the Architect Crème Brûlée in a head-to-head unblinded tasting (better nose, shorter but sweeter finish).