Penelope Barrel Strength Bourbon (Batch 7)

Nose: Heavy orange peel, touch of leather, hint of tobacco Taste: Leather, tobacco. Not terribly rich, sweet or thick but overall a good taste experience. Would pair well with cigar.

Very hot on the nares and palate.. hints of vanilla

Hot cinnamon, vanilla and oak nose. Sweet caramel and vanilla with substantial heat on the palate.

Open 7 weeks Nose - Grain, caramel, grass, cherries, orange peel, cinnamon, and medium ethanol. Palate - Caramel, unripe cherries, citrus cleaner, grain, and some rye or oak spice. Finish is medium with tannic and bitter oak showing up, strong ethanol, light caramel and vanilla, candied cherries, and raisins. Follow up review for the bottle kill (I split this 3 ways for trading with friends). My opinion hasn't changed but the flavor has. The wheat softness was prominent when first opened, now it's more rye forward and significantly spicier despite being open for almost 2 months. Considering the price I would opt for others on the shelf in NC. But, this is a batch release from a relatively new distillery, and I bet they will gradually introduce older bourbons than this 44 month old batch 07. A lot of people in NC whiskey community like Penelope. Clearly they know what they're doing blending these younger bourbons and my guess is they'll keep improving and continue making interesting products like the rose cask finish.

Open 3 days Nose - Caramel, butterscotch, soft wheat, fresh cut grass, maraschino cherries, light orange peel, and medium ethanol. Palate - Caramel, maraschino and medicinal cherries, citrus scented cleaner, wheat/grain, and noticeable ethanol punch. Finish is medium with tannic and bitter oak showing up, strong ethanol, light caramel and vanilla, candied cherries, and raisins. This is my initial impression. Penelope has been hyped for a while by NCWH but I've been unable to find the barrel strength releases in my area until last week. So far it's good stuff, not quite sure it's better than similar sourced bourbons in this price range. It tastes kind of like a higher proof E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch or Maker's 101 with that soft wheat, caramel, and cherry profile. We'll see how it opens up.