Welcome to Taste Test, where every week our critic Jonah Flicker explores the most buzzworthy and interesting whiskeys in the world. Check back each Sunday for his latest whiskey review.
Despite the positive spin some try to put on the situation, the whiskey industry is in a bit of a rough patch. This may or may not last, but it is what it is—people are drinking less, and some distilleries have paused production to deal with it. Distilleries making whiskey on contract for other brands, like MGP, have been pretty hard, as there is currently a glut of aged whiskey sitting in warehouses. Still, one of its brands, Penelope Bourbon, seems to have decided to ride this out by releasing a bunch of new expressions—and the latest is one that you should add to your home bar now.
Penelope was founded in 2018 by New Jersey residents Mike Paladini and Danny Polise (the brand is named after Paladini’s daughter). The label does not have its own distillery; instead, it sources nearly all of its whiskey from MGP in Indiana, although it works with Bardstown Bourbon Company for blending and bottling. In 2023, MGP acquired Penelope for more than $100 million, seemingly realizing that the company had hit a nerve in the whiskey world. Might as well own it outright and reap the benefits instead of just selling it more whiskey. In recent years, MGP has hit the brakes on whiskey production at some of the distilleries it owns, although it continues to distill in Indiana despite some dismal sales figures over the past year or two. And, as mentioned before, Penelope continues to release whiskey—some of it that doesn’t necessarily stand out, and some of it that is worth paying attention to.
This bottle, part of the new Classic Series, falls into the latter “take notice” category, despite it being a return to basics in some regards. First of all, this is Penelope’s very first large-scale straight Kentucky bourbon (there has been at least one very limited release before). That alone doesn’t make it better or worse, but it does make it different. Instead of the usual four-grain mashbill that it gets from MGP, this is a very classic three-grain recipe: 78 percent corn, 10 percent rye, and 12 percent malted barley. Where was it distilled? The brand doesn’t say, but while Bardstown Bourbon Company or its sister distillery Green River could be the source, it’s probably Lux Row in Bardstown since that is also under the MGP umbrella. There is no age statement, so that means it has to be at least four years old (and it’s probably not much older than that), and it’s bottled at a sturdy 92 proof.
Most importantly, this is a really solid bourbon that can compete with entry level bottles from Kentucky legacy names like Jim Beam, Four Roses, Wild Turkey, or Heaven Hill. All of the classic bourbon notes are there: vanilla, maple, honey, oak, black pepper, stone fruit, caramel, and peach immediately jump out. And at 92 proof, this is a whiskey you can and should use for making cocktails. An Old Fashioned or a Boulevardier are no-brainers, and if you prefer a Manhattan with less spice this will do just fine. (We should note that the Classic Series also includes an MGP-produced straight rye whiskey, another first for the brand, made with a 93 percent rye grain/seven percent malted barley mashbill, for those that like a more traditional Manhattan).
Penelope certainly didn’t have to launch another new whiskey series; it has enough cask and stave finishes, golf-themed bottles, and older Founder’s Reserve whiskeys to keep you busy for a while (too many, perhaps). Maybe the price of this whiskey was too good to pass up considering the current market; or perhaps the team really has been planning this for a long time as they say in the press release. Whatever the reason, I’m glad they bottled this Kentucky bourbon because it’s tasty, fairly priced at $45 per bottle, and versatile enough to sip or mix.
Score: 87
- 100 Worth trading your first born for
- 95 – 99 In the Pantheon: A trophy for the cabinet
- 90 – 94 Great: An excited nod from friends when you pour them a dram
- 85 – 89 Very Good: Delicious enough to buy, but not quite special enough to chase on the secondary market
- 80 – 84 Good: More of your everyday drinker, solid and reliable
- Below 80 It’s Alright: Honestly, we probably won’t waste your time and ours with this