Penelope Architect Build No. 8

Penelope Architect Series Build #8 [2024?]. MGP-sourced straight four grain bourbon whiskey (Corn, Wheat, Rye, Malted Barley) blended from three bourbon mash bills, aged four years, finished with two different french oak staves, and bottled by Penelope in Bardstown, KY at 104 proof. Tasted neat. Rose copper in color with strong coating legs in the glass. Nose is prominent and inviting: spicy grass/rye, sweet stone fruit, floral vanilla oak, tannins, and ethanol. Great first impression. Vanilla and tannic oak, brown sugar, and an ethanol burst open in the mouth. Cherry, sweet grain, and leather, followed by a peppery spicy taste that carries through into the finish. Coating mouthfeel that thins in a long lip-tingling finish. No sour or off flavors in this whiskey that drinks like it's higher proof than 104. So it's MGP Ross and Squibb whiskey from Indiana that the folks at Penelope have been tweeking and blending to good reviews. So good that Penelope is now owned by R and S, and as such that team will have even more access to the full range of quality MGP distillates. Yeah, quality. Big isn't always bad. MGP is making better whiskey than plenty of small craft distilleries, and doing so at scale for years. So instead of lamenting their "standardized" flavors that show up in so many other sourced whiskies (many that hide their MGP source, which is really the problem), acknowledge that MGP juice is better than what some of these "craft" distillers will ever make. High West in my state is a classic example of a great blender of MGP product that has ruined the brand by mixing in their own inferior distillate at jacked prices (and I'm being kind). Point is, plenty of people have taken MGP juice and tweeked it to good effect--Penelope among them--and others have just made their own poor "craft" whiskey that we regret buying in the end. Don't get me wrong, I love quality liquor however it's produced, and I celebrate small distillers risking it all to make amazing juice, but it all comes down to quality, not scale. Ok, done ranting. Enjoy whatever you choose to drink. This bottle will divide people over the French oak finish. I happen to appreciate that different flavor profile, and an ice cube changes it again, taming the tannins and ethanol and letting the oak shine. I'm going to keep enjoying this and see how I feel about it next week. Just another interesting day to be alive. Cheers.

Nose is full of toasty goodness; fire kissed oak barrel char, burnt marshmallow, caramel syrup, campfire smoke, cinnamon roll, and lest you think it was all dessert and wood; a little bit of bright apricot. If only there wasn’t any pesky ethanol, but alas it’s there in small quantities. Palate definitely matches the nose well with added notes of creme brûlée, (both the burnt sugar and the custard), and almond butter, but with prototypical MGP brightness. There’s some surprising and welcome tangerine citrus as well. A bit of youthful sharpness keeps the flavors from having the desired depth and richness. The toasted oak comes out big time in the finish along with cinnamon, white pepper and a delicious roasted pecan nut note after everything else fades. Long finish for the proof. Mouthfeel is on the fuller side of medium bodied, and sufficiently oily. Much to like here. A quality, accessible whiskey that does the job of offering an elevated experience and a reasonable price point. Man, what I wouldn’t give for a 7-9 year version of this, but I digress. At 59.99, it’s a solid value for the price point and I will buy again.

Nose 4 / Palate 4 / Finish 4 Fragrant nose, sweet palate, medium-short finish with equal amounts of sweet and spice. Very similar, but slightly preferred to the Architect Crème Brûlée in a head-to-head unblinded tasting (better nose, shorter but sweeter finish).

Incredibly balanced. Just hot enough, just sweet enough, just smooth enough. Go-to classic. Well rounded.

Its like a mix of Penelope BS and Makers 46 with the French Oak finish.

Good flavor, decent mouth feel. Short, young finish