Penelope Architect Bourbon Review

Distillery: MGP

Proof: 104

Age: 4-5.5 years

Mashbill: Undisclosed

Price: $60

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Company

Founded in 2018 and named after the co-founder’s daughter, Penelope Bourbon is a brand that works with several notable companies to make their bourbon. It’s distilled at MGP’s Lawrenceburg, Indiana distillery, aged in oak casks from Speyside Cooperage, and blended and bottled by Castle & Key in Kentucky.

Production

According to their site, Penelope Architect is made from a blend of 3 mash bills comprised of four grains (corn, wheat, rye, and malted barley). It’s then finished with 2 different types of oak staves—Delicate Stave (low tannin content) and Intense Stave (medium tannin).

Penelope Architect Review: Flavor Profile

Nose – 4.25/5

Complex—lots going on, but still very approachable. The french oak is pretty apparent but there are also heavy notes of vanilla and rye. I also got some feint notes of apple and caramel with a touch of ethanol (but really not bad at all).

Palate – 4.75/5

Incredibly well-balanced. There’s some light rye and some spiciness, but it’s countered by deep caramel and vanilla. The french oak comes through here too. This reminds me a bit of Maker’s 46 but with more character.

Finish – 4/5

Enjoyable, medium-length finish with heavy oak and a touch of rye and caramel. It’s solid. My only critique is that it’s a bit too oak-forward.

Value – 4.25/5

This is a great bottle for $60. You get a good-proof, well-aged whiskey that’s blended almost to perfection. Penelope does a great job with Architect and it’s been flying off the shelves. If it was $50, it’d be on the top of my best bourbons under $50 list for sure.

It’s

Penelope Architect Bourbon Review: The Verdict

Verdict – 4.31/5

We score each bourbon based on nose, palate, finish, and value.

Scoring System:

• Platinum – 4.25 – 5
• Gold – 3.25 – 4.24
• Silver – 2.75 – 3.24
• Bronze – <2.75