Penelope Toasted Barrel Strength Bourbon

Nose: Honey, oak, burnt sugar Palate: Vanilla, baking spices, barrel char, cocoa, black pepper Finish: Honey, oak, black pepper This is rich, spicy and quite complex. 7.5/10

Oak char burn. Spice up front smooth finish

Batch 22-02 Pours a copper color, fairly thin legs. Nose: Honey, walnuts/pecans, very little fruit, but mellow sweetness. Taste: Oak, savory, some heat. Sweet corn, definitely pick up the wheat sweetness as well. Surprisingly good roasted flavors from only a level 1 char. I pick up some of the rye spice, but not much of the rye flavor given the 20% range. Finish: Sweet corn bread with rye spice. Fairly quick finish, but enjoyable. Overall: 4/5. Probably my favorite of the Penelope series. I’m not a huge four grain fan, but this is very balanced and well blended. I think it’s worth the price point and give it a “buy it” recommendation.

Dark amber in color with several evenly spaced, slowly appearing legs and a nice ring of beads that hangs on the glass nicely. Nose is caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, toasted oak with undertones of milk chocolate, flaked grains, cola, and a hint of an herbal/mintyness. Soft on the palate for a barrel proof offering, some heat on the tongue. Front is not as sweet as I expected. Pecans, burnt sugar, more vanilla followed immediately by a profound but pleasant woodiness mid palate with some baking spice. Fairly long finish is complex and interesting, with waves alternating the barrel and mash bill... An almost salty character pops in and out before exiting with a burnt caramel. This is good. It's interesting and complex and only really lacks in luscious mouth feel. The malted grains are a really nice inclusion and seem to do quite a bit for it.

Been a fan lately of Penelope series. Got the chance to try the toasted. On the nose: Deep walnut, Cherry Palate: Brown sugar, Sweet Rye Finish: Has a tangy, almost orange finish. Could have done more with the flavor on the finish. But otherwise of your a higher proof fan or love rye, I really enjoyed this one.

Straight: Good