Penelope Barrel Strength Bourbon (Batch 12)

Taste- neat in glen cairn. This is batch 14 at 112 proof. Nose- A wonderful old leather book cover hits you first. Then a touch of ripe berries followed by traditional caramel. In the background is something more vegetable that reminds me of edame before a nice sushi dinner Palate- opens up with a pop of pepper and that leather book mustiness. I love that note! This dissipates to a bit of savoriness. After the more fiery notes give way, I get some underlying butterscotch candy. Finish- long finish, but not overstated. Those tangy berry notes hold on, and the edame comes back around to help the exit. Overall- This was a very pleasant surprise for me. Normally I am not a fan of the 4 grains in one mashbill. That "off the silo floor" malty taste wrecks my experience. This however enhanced the interest. I found it big, bold, enough to be traditional bourbon, but different enough to keep me interested. Definately a bottle that will create much conversation with friends. As you can see with my description, this would be a banger when paired with a nice sushi dinner. Leave the Sake on the shelf as this would make a super pairing