| Whiskey | Penelope Cigar Blend – Chapter 1 (2025 Release) |
| Distillery | Sourced from MGP |
| Region | Lawrenceburg, Indiana |
| Type | Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | Blend of Straight Bourbon, American Single Malt, and American Light Whiskey Mashbill – 74% Corn, 15% Wheat, 7% Rye, 3% Malted Barley |
| Proof / ABV | 101 Proof / 50.5% ABV |
| Aging | Aged 6 Years in new charred oak barrels and finished with French Oak Staves |
| Filtration | Chill Filtered |
| MSRP | $80 |
| Release Year | 2025 |
Penelope Cigar Blend Tasting Notes
Appearance: Dark Golden Honey
Nose: Brown sugar, cinnamon, caramel, rich vanilla, malt, light toasted oak, dark fruits, dried plum, tannic oak spice, pepper notes
Palate: Dark fruits, black cherry, raspberry, cinnamon spice, caramel, tons of vanilla, toasted oak, oaky tannic spice, nutmeg, malt grain, tobacco, citrus notes, graham cracker, pepper spice
Finish: Medium rich finish that sticks around on the palate a while, but also has a bit of burn to it – leaves you with nice cinnamon spice with oaky tannic spice and black pepper on the tail end
What Is A Cigar Blend or Cigar Cut in Whiskey?
A “Cigar Blend” or “Cigar Cut” whiskey is designed to be sipped on alongside a cigar.
They are often aged in barrels longer and also finished in barrels that infuse darker, richer notes into the whiskey to enhance the flavors of a cigar (think Cognac, Armagnac, Sherry, and French Oak Barrels).
In my experience, the combination works both ways where the bolder flavors in the whiskey help bring out specific flavor notes in the cigar, but the cigar also helps the whiskey taste a bit smoother and more refined.
I’m not a scientist or anything here, but most of the cigar cut whiskeys that I have tasted are usually higher proof (100+ proof) and often non-chill filtered which will generally coat your mouth with a much richer finish.
So in addition to a flavor improvement, you may also notice a nice texture benefit from sipping on a cigar cut whiskey while smoking a cigar (less burn on both).
If you have never paired a cigar with a good cigar cut whiskey, give it a shot and you’ll probably notice the impact immediately.
So with that out of the way, let’s get into the review!
Is Penelope Cigar Blend an Approachable Whiskey?
Penelope has become a pretty big name recently and their bottles are generally pretty approachable.
This particular bottle is their new Cigar Blend which has a bit of rarity to it since it is a 2025 limited release.
In addition to be a limited release, it is also 50.5% ABV which can feel little “hot” to new drinkers since it does have quite a bit of spice on it.
I would recommend this pour to seasoned whiskey drinkers and people who really enjoy a good cigar and whiskey.
Is Penelope Cigar Blend Complex?
Penelope’s new cigar blend has quite a few layers of complexity and depth of flavor.
Since it is a blend of Penelope’s straight bourbon, American Single Malt, and American Light Whiskey, you already get a unique combination of flavors that cover a nice spectrum.
In addition to that, this whiskey is finished in French Oak Barrels which gives it a nice layer of fruit notes that were quite noticeable.
I’ve had quite a few different Cigar Cut Whiskeys like Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend, Dalmore Cigar Malt, and Old Elk Cigar Cut which are all excellent.
In comparison, I would say that the Penelope Cigar Blend is the lowest in complexity from the whiskeys on that list, but it’s also half the cost which is a big factor in my reviews so I’ll get into that below.
What are Penelope Cigar Blend’s strongest attributes/flavors?
Penelope Cigar Blend’s strongest attribute is that it offers a rich and bold flavor profile that has multiple layers of flavor at an affordable price.
You will definitely get a unique experience with this bottle because it:
- Is designed to compliment and enhance your cigar experience (which it will)
- Definitely captures dark fruit notes from the French Oak Finish
- Has a distinct set of flavors due to the combination of blended straight bourbon, American single malt, and American light whiskey.
Is Penelope Cigar Blend a go-to whiskey?
This bottle of Penelope is one of the better bottles I have tasted from Penelope.
Unfortunately, it’s a limited-release bottle that is pretty hard to find.
For that reason, I would not consider this a go-to whiskey and is a bottle I will likely reserve for when I have friends over who enjoy a good cigar.
Is Penelope Cigar Blend priced accurately to its quality?
I often think Penelope slightly overcharged for their bottles, but I think this bottle is actually worth the $80 price tag.
Most other cigar blend whiskeys run upwards of $100-200 and while I would still prefer the flavors on those more expensive bottles, it makes the $80 price point look quite nice in comparison.
Conclusion for Penelope Cigar Blend - Chapter 1 (2025 Release)
If you are a fan of cigars, this is a bottle you should purchase if you see it on the shelf.
If you’re not planning on smoking a cigar any time soon, I would still recommend purchasing this bottle if you can find it because it does offer very nice flavors with quite a few layers of complexity.
I would say of all the Penelope whiskeys that I have reviewed, this is probably in my top 3.
- Penelope Marshmallow (Need to review still – my bottle is already half gone)
- Penelope Project X Cognac and Oloroso Sherry Finish
- Penelope Cigar Blend
Overall, I’m pretty happy with this purchase.
I probably wouldn’t pay more for this bottle than MSRP, but at $80 it is worth the purchase, especially if you’re a fan of cigars.
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