Penelope Bourbon introduced its new Estate Collection of limited-availability aged whiskey and bourbon releases – Founders Reserve, Private Select and Single Barrel. The collection represents the pinnacle of Penelope’s craftsmanship, from hand-selected barrels to meticulously crafted blends. The new premium releases spotlight masterful innovations in aged wheat whiskey, exquisite blends of aged straight bourbon whiskey and exceptional hand-selected single barrel bourbon.
The 2024 Estate Collection reflects Penelope Bourbon Founder and Master Blender Danny Polise’s passion for bourbon making as a journey of discovery and reinvention. To create the collection, Polise and his team evolved the brand beyond Penelope’s well-known 4- to 6-year-aged offerings by selecting 9- to 11-year superior-aged barrels to develop the releases.
“It was a thrill to explore the warehouses and hunt for the perfect barrels to create the collection,” said 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.”
The exceptional craftsmanship of the Penelope Estate Collection demonstrates the brand’s commitment to offering a portfolio of high-quality aged products sought out by aficionados, and hand-crafted in limited allocations by Penelope’s signature standards.
“Innovation and quality are at the heart of everything we do, and the 2024 Estate Collection takes those characteristics to an entirely new level,” said 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 experimental 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, Indiana. Polise and the Penelope team tapped into the distillery’s rich heritage to seek out and batch unique and rare spirits in five lots, and bottled the whiskey at cask strength to give each its own character, offering connoisseurs a unique and varied tasting experience. Each bottle of Founders Reserve is packaged in a dark green box featuring rich gold embossed Penelope Bourbon Estate Collection branding. The interior of the box lists complete details for all five lots.
Founders Reserve imparts an aroma of rich caramelized sugar and vanilla bean with a touch of cherry, flavors of maple buttercream frosting with hints of white pepper and a bit of oak, and a savory finish with lingering 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)
Very limited quantities of Founders Reserve will be available for a minimum suggested retail price of $199.00 at Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, Kentucky, and through e-commerce partners in select markets beginning in the October/November timeframe.
Penelope Private Select is an annual release that pushes the boundaries of what blended bourbon can be. This innovative expression showcases the unique characteristics of the finest 9-year-aged straight bourbon barrel stocks hand-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 rich caramel, vanilla custard and cherry fruit on the nose, with flavors of marshmallow, caramel, sweet cherry and black pepper on the palate. The finish of this distinctive bourbon features 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 reveals the character that lies within the finest aged bourbon stocks. Each 10-year-aged barrel has been hand-selected from various warehouses and floors, revealing profiles too exceptional to blend. With two rye mash bill options – 21% and 36% –Penelope Single Barrel is a celebration of the individuality and complexity that can only be found in a single barrel of well-aged bourbon.
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 premium release opens with aromas of vanilla, caramel, dried fruit and sweet cherry followed by notes of caramel, buttercream frosting, maraschino cherry and light rye spice on the palate with a finish featuring 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 distinctive innovation features an aroma of butterscotch, vanilla and light fruit on the nose 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.
To learn more about where to find Penelope Bourbon Estate Collection releases, please visit PenelopeBourbon.com or the product locator here. A product locator for the Penelope family of bourbons can be found here.
