MGP in Lawrenceburg, Indiana has an enchanting place within the fashionable whiskey panorama. Whereas working below Seagram possession, the distillery was largely used to provide elements for blended whiskey. The distillery handed by way of completely different possession a couple of instances and was largely ignored and unknown by whiskey fans till roughly a decade in the past. MGP had been quietly offering sourced whiskey to NDPs for a few years, however the follow wasn’t almost as broadly recognized and commonplace as it’s in the present day. The usage of sourced whiskey, and the transparency about its use, was thrust into the nationwide consciousness as a result of a category motion lawsuit involving a distinguished NDP that bottles and blends MGP whiskey. Out of the blue, whiskey fans have been very conscious of MGP and the truth that so many NDPs bottled MGP. Most customers agreed that the Indiana whiskey was exceptionally good, however they nonetheless didn’t know what to make of the idea of sourcing. Over time, customers have turn into far more comfy as numerous upstart distilleries and NDPs have bottled and blended whiskey distilled in Lawrenceburg, however solely certainly one of them caught the eye of MGP to the diploma that MGP bought the model. In 2023, MGP/Luxco acquired Penelope and introduced them into the household portfolio.
Penelope was based in 2018 on the premise of buying and mixing whiskey distilled by MGP to craft high quality expressions. In 2024, Drinkhacker named Penelope Non-public Choose Property Assortment Bourbon 9 Years Previous to our High 20 of 2024 based mostly on the mixture of high quality and worth. Following up on that success, Luxco supplied Drinkhacker with a bottle of Penelope Single Barrel Property Assortment Straight Bourbon 10 Years Previous for overview. For this restricted single collection, every barrel is chosen from varied warehouses and flooring to search out whiskeys with distinctive and distinctive profiles. The Single Barrel Property Assortment collection makes use of each of the usual mashbills from MGP, however this bottle options the LESV recipe with 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley. Barrel #PEN-106 was stuffed on 11/14/2014 and matured on the 2nd ground of Warehouse E. After dumping, the bourbon is non-chill filtered and bottled at a good 98 proof.
A large number of NDPs have bottled single barrel expressions of LESV from MGP. Each membership and retailer in America insists that their single barrel choice is definitely one of the best one available on the market. Nonetheless, what occurs when Penelope and the Luxco household cherry-pick what they understand to be the best single barrels from their very own stock to market below their very own branding? Let’s discover out!
My inner-child was instantly activated because the candy aroma of Cow Tales sweet rose from the Glencairn. Because the preliminary sweetness passes, earthy and subtly candy apple chips enter the image, adopted by hints of almond and a burst of juicy plum. The bouquet is a symphony of well-balanced candy and earthy character. Debuting on the palate, buttery toffee and vanilla custard shortly current. Childhood curiosity continues to be piqued as tangy cherry Jolly Ranchers play on the palate, adopted by almonds and the warming spice of cloves. As this stunning bourbon advances towards the end, the tangy Jolly Rancher word presents as watery cranberry juice, avoiding being overly tart. Because the dram concludes, heat cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting lingers gently, however for a considerable period of time. The mouthfeel is intriguing because it initially feels a bit skinny, however then regularly transitions into a way more viscous expertise that hangs on the palate with a delicate tingle. My thoughts shortly moved from wishing for extra concerning mouthfeel to the belief that the feeling turned into one thing relatively nice over the course of 30 seconds.
Primarily based on this particular barrel, Penelope absolutely delivers on the advertising and marketing declare to offer noteworthy single barrels with distinctive and extraordinary profiles. Whereas bottling single barrels at cask energy appears to be all the fashion, bottling at 98 proof simply feels proper for this expression. With the data that future single barrel releases within the Property Assortment will characteristic this degree of high quality together with completely different warehouses and flooring, together with whiskeys constructed from the LBSV recipe, that is definitely a collection price your consideration.
98 proof. Reviewed: Barrel #PEN-106.
A / $90 / penelopebourbon.com
Penelope Single Barrel Property Assortment Bourbon 10 Years Previous
$90
