Penelope Private Select Barrel Strength Bourbon Batch 02

I'm not sure why I bought this bourbon a few years back. Maybe it was because of a YouTube review. Maybe it was something I read online. I don't recall. What I do know is that there's no substitute for experience--you have to wade through a lot of crap to understand what the good stuff is. So I'll chalk this one off to experience. A lot of ethanol on the nose. A lot of rye spice, and a dusty note, and some cherry underneath it all. A little hazelnut. There's a reason why I still have plenty left in this bottle. I don't believe I've tasted it since my last review two and a half years ago (7/19/22). I get the same general impressions today. This bourbon (is it even bourbon? The back label is confusing) is sourced from MGP. The age statement on the back--hand written--is "3-5 years." You could drive a truck through that range. On a percentage basis, 5 is a 67% increase from 3. "Straight bourbon," if under 4 years old, must have an age statement. Yes, this one does. But "3-5 years" doesn't say much. Then there's the issue of the mash bill. The back label says "91% rye bourbon", "5% wheat bourbon", and "4% corn bourbon." There's no such thing as "rye bourbon": a bourbon by definition has to be at least 51% corn. A rye by definition has to be at least 51% rye. Why go to the trouble of hand-writing specifics when the specifics are meaningless? I have no idea what I paid for this, but a quick online search suggests that current iterations (4 years old) can be had for $50 or more. Would I buy it again? No. This may work in a cocktail, but I don't make too many cocktails. I'd feel guilty sharing this with friends, unless they were genuine bourbon afficionados who wanted to try something off the wall. 2.5 generous stars on the Distiller scale. 119.8 proof.

Dark mahogany color (it’s unclear if coloring has been added). Pleasant, though disjointed, nose shows brown sugar, cocoa powder, peanut brittle, oak, and ethanol—which is out of balance. Palate has a lot of heat (119.8 proof), adding leather and pipe tobacco, before finishing with more heat. There is a subtle, lingering bitterness. The overall impression is one of unrealized potential: the nose has some appealing aspects, but lacks the depth, complexity, and richness to offset the heat. This is likely due in some part to its young age (addressed below), and not simply to its high proof; other bourbons such as Elijah Craig Barrel Proof and Stagg Jr. excel at integrating the high heat. Penelope sources their bourbon from MGP in Indiana. Batch 02 is bottled at 119.8 proof, and is a blend of three sourced bourbons: 4% corn bourbon, 91% rye bourbon, and 5% wheat bourbon. It is unclear what exactly these terms mean, as all bourbon must by definition be (among other things) at least 51% corn. Even as mashbill descriptors: what is “corn bourbon”? (Not the same as “corn whiskey”). What is “rye bourbon”? There is high-rye bourbon, low-rye bourbon, even medium-rye bourbon, and no-rye bourbon. Rye whiskey must be at least 51% rye, and 91% of this blend is stated to be “rye bourbon,” not “rye whiskey.” This is not pedantry, but rather fundamental, foundational definitions. The distillate is aged 3-5 years. N.B. All spirits tasted neat in separate Glencairn glasses.