Penelope Bourbon uses a four-grain mash bill — corn, wheat, rye and malted barley — that produces a bourbon of unusual complexity. Founded by Mike Paladini, the brand sources bourbon from MGP and blends it with careful attention to the interplay between the four grains. The Barrel Strength expression presents this four-grain character at full power.
The four-grain mash bill is the distinguishing feature. Most bourbons use three grains; the addition of both wheat and rye creates a bourbon that has the softness of a wheated bourbon and the spice of a high-rye bourbon simultaneously. At barrel strength, each grain's contribution is amplified — corn sweetness, rye pepper, wheat smoothness, barley nuttiness — creating a palate of genuine complexity.
Penelope Barrel Strength is one of the more interesting four-grain bourbons available. The blending is expert, the barrel-proof presentation honest, and the four-grain complexity genuine. At its price, it offers remarkable value for a cask-strength bourbon with this level of grain complexity. A brand worth watching as it develops.
