Penelope Toasted Rye (Batch 24-304)

Toasted barrel finish straight rye whiskey. MGP mashbill 95% rye, 5% malted barley, rested 6 years in oak. Then finished in char #2 heavy toast oak barrels. Batch 24-304, 50% ABV. Tasting neat. Rose copper and good coating legs in the glass. On the nose, oak char, toffee, light burnt sugar, a little spice in the background. On the palete, creamy butterscotch, toffee, oak char, and dry leather tannins. White pepper and spicy sweet grass back that up. Mouthfeel is creamy/oily, coating the mouth with tropical fruit sweetness. Finish runs from there to caramel corn, old soft apple, and a dry rye spice that lingers a long time in that oily coating that finally goes clean. No sour off flavors show up. There's little overpowering about the flavors of this whiskey, and it has little ethanol bloom. If anything, that toasted oak note stands out, and youll love or hate it depending on your reaction to that. I quite like that smoky quality. An ice cube tames the spice and accentuates the fruit notes. A really pleasant sip either way. Penelope is now a brand owned by Ross & Sqibb, blending and aging MGP distillate, and doing a good job of it. The price seems a little high, but this is a production experiment in toasted barrels. We'll see how far it goes, if it continues, and if the price eventually comes down.

Rich, dark, spicy, and complex on the nose. Some green vegetation, some dust. Spiciness is not limited to typical baking spices and brown sugar. Ginger? Flavor is bright and sweet on the tip of the tonge, and dark and savory on the back. Something in this is redolent of a good vegetable stir fry. Strongly present fruit as well. This is just lovely and certainly one to be savored. Not your typical rye. Finish is epicly long and interesting.

Strong mint and winter green nose, def can taste the rye in this pour, the strong forward rye isnt in my palate wheel. Juice is quality and smooth, just not for me