Penelope Bourbon has announced its new Estate Collection of limited-availability aged whiskey and bourbon releases: Founders Reserve, Private Select and Single Barrel.
To create this collection, Master Blender Danny Polise and his team evolved the brand beyond Penelope’s well-known 4- to 6-year-aged offerings by selecting 9- to 11-year barrels to develop these releases.
“It was a thrill to explore the warehouses and hunt for the perfect barrels to create the collection,” says Polise. “We pride ourselves on the details in blending, and took a hands-on approach to find specific nuances and variations in order to curate these releases. The result is an outstanding premium collection illustrating the breadth of both fine distillate and blending.”
“Innovation and quality are at the heart of everything we do, and the 2024 Estate Collection takes those characteristics to an entirely new level,” adds Michael Paladini, founder, Penelope Bourbon and vice president of strategy, MGP Ingredients. “These three releases showcase the best of the best in our rickhouses, allowing us to create one-of-a-kind aged whiskeys that take Penelope to new heights. Each product in the Estate Collection is unique – from the blend to the age and the mash bill. There’s something in this collection for everyone.”
Penelope Founders Reserve features 24 barrels of straight wheat whiskey with a mash bill of 95% wheat and 5% barley malt aged 11 years in charred new American oak barrels at the historic Ross & Squibb Distillery in Lawrenceburg, IN. Polise and the Penelope team tapped into the distillery’s stock to seek out and batch spirits in five lots, and bottled the whiskey at cask strength. Each bottle of Founders Reserve comes packaged in a dark green box featuring gold embossed Penelope Bourbon Estate Collection branding. The interior of the box lists complete details for all five lots.
Founders Reserve has an aroma of caramelized sugar and vanilla bean with a touch of cherry, the company reports, plus flavors of maple buttercream frosting with hints of white pepper and a bit of oak, and a finish with notes of brown sugar and toffee. Each of the five lots features a unique proof point:
- Lot B: 118.4 proof (59.2% ABV)
- Lot C: 116.6 proof (58.3% ABV)
- Lot D: 109.5 proof (54.75% ABV)
- Lot E: 107.6 proof (53.8% ABV)
- Lot F: 108.2 proof (54.1% ABV)
Limited quantities of Founders Reserve will be available for a minimum suggested retail price of $199 at Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, KY, and through e-commerce partners in select markets beginning in the October/November timeframe.
Penelope Private Select is a new annual release. This expression showcases 9-year-aged straight bourbon barrel stocks selected from two different states. Bottled at 101.2 proof (50.6% ABV), the 2024 release features a mash bill of 74% corn, 20% rye, 1% wheat and 5% malted barley.
Penelope Private Select opens with caramel, vanilla custard and cherry fruit on the nose, the company reports, with flavors of marshmallow, caramel, sweet cherry and black pepper on the palate. The finish includes notes of vanilla crème brûlée, allspice and light smoke. A limited quantity of 6,000 (6-in) cases ship to retailers nationwide in September/October with a minimum suggested retail price of $79.99.
Penelope Single Barrel from a 10-year-aged barrel selected from various warehouses and floors. Two rye mash bill options are 21% and 36%:
- Single Barrel 21% is made from a mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye and 4% malted barley. Bottled at 98 proof (49% ABV), this release opens with aromas of vanilla, caramel, dried fruit and sweet cherry, according to distillery notes, followed by flavors of caramel, buttercream frosting, maraschino cherry and light rye spice on the palate with a finish of dried cherry and marshmallow with lingering spice. Single Barrel 21% ships to Open states in October at a minimum suggested retail price of $89.99.
- Single Barrel 36% is made from a mash bill of 60% corn, 36% rye and 4% malted barley. Bottled at 105 proof (52.5% ABV), this has an aroma of butterscotch, vanilla and light fruit on the nose, the distillery reports, and flavors of candied caramel, vanilla and chocolate cocoa. The long rye spice finish features notes of lingering butterscotch and roasted nuts. Single Barrel 36% ships to Control states in October at a minimum suggested retail price of $89.99.
This follows the recent launch of 2024 Penelope Valencia.
In May of last year, Penelope Bourbon was acquired by MGP.
