Veteran Bourbon Review: Penelope Architect Straight Bourbon Whiskey

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Penelope Architect

History – One of the things that people ask most about this brand is “What does Penelope mean?” I will leave that to the website to answer for you. “Penelope Bourbon was crafted and created in a classic American tradition – to celebrate the impending birth of a child. In 2018, Mike Paladini and his wife, Kerry, found out they were expecting a baby girl, Penelope.  To commemorate this occasion, Mike quickly realized he wanted to create a spirit that embodied the daily joy of celebrating life’s pleasures – big and small. 

Teaming up with his close childhood friend and neighbor, Danny Polise, they set out to discover and produce a Straight Bourbon Whiskey everyone could appreciate and enjoy. A company was born. 

Today, Penelope Bourbon is sold in over 26 states nationwide and 4 countries. 

“Penelope Architect is the new blueprint for precision blending. The first build in this series combines our signature four grain mash bill with two styles of French oak staves. Working in collaboration with Tonnellerie Radoux of France, the market leader in oak barrel manufacturing and innovation, we selected each stave using their state-of-the-art OakScan® process to construct a truly memorable flavor profile. After all, the best architecture leaves no room for error.” – penelopebourbon.com

Penelope Architect has won Gold in the 2022 John BarleyCorn Awards and been awarded 90 points by the Whiskey Advocate. 

Value – I think the price is pretty close. Maybe a little on the high side, but you’re getting your money’s worth and won’t be disappointed. It’s not the best thing out there, but don’t pass it up. It’s very enjoyable.

Appearance – This bottle is tall and slender like a wine bottle. The Architect color coding is blue, so it has a large blue label with the signature P on the front. The bottle is corked and filled with a caramel colored Bourbon. 

Nose –  Oak / Caramelized Sugar / Creme Brulee / Light Alcohol Fume. The nose on this is very pleasant. Not one note overpowers the other. The oak stands out first but blends quickly into a sweet caramelized sugar, almost exactly as fresh creme brulee smells. It’s very delightful and has surprisingly light alcohol fumes for 104 proof.  

Palate – Medium Body / Oily / Low Heat / Oak / Vanilla. The palate doesn’t have anything that particularly stands out or is incredible. The flip side of that is, there isn’t anything bad about it either. It drinks well and goes down smooth with a light oak note followed by a little vanilla. I do enjoy the medium body feel in the mouth coupled with its low heat level.

Finish – Vanilla / Light Oak / Low Heat. The finish on this one lasts a good 30 seconds. The flavors in the finish are very light. I tasted a faint vanilla note followed by a very light oak note that stays with you for the entire duration. It has a moderate to low heat level that has been maintained throughout the entire sip.  

Summary – This bourbon all around is good. It delivers wonderful, light notes while maintaining a low heat level at every stage of the tasting. This is definitely a pour that anyone would enjoy. It needs to be noted that this is 104 proof, but drinks as calm as a 90 proof. Well done Penelope.

Uniqueness – 1-10 – 8

Appearance- 1-10 – 9

Nose- 1-20 – 12

Palate- 1-20 – 10

Finish- 1-20 – 10

Value- 1-20 – 12