Penelope Architect Review - Secret Whiskey Society - Featured Square

Distillery: Sourced from MGP

Region: Lawrenceburg, Indiana

Aging: 4 years

ABV: 52%

Proof: 104

Non-Chill Filtered: Yes

Build No: 5

Price: $63

Appearance: Amber

Blend: Four Grain Straight Bourbon blended from three sourced bourbon mash bills finished in French Oak Staves

Nose: Buttery caramel, vanilla, oak, light grain, and rye spices

Palate: Sweet caramel flavor and oak upfront followed by rye spices and a wee bit of grain on the tail end

Finish: Medium finish with strong floral notes and rye spices

Is Penelope Architect Build 5 an Approachable Whiskey?

Penelope Architect is an easy-to-drink whiskey. While it does have some heat on it sitting at 52% ABV, it goes down smoothly. The French oak staves give this one a huge leg-up on the standard base-level Penelope bourbon but the price tag also reflects this.

Is Penelope Architect Build 5 Complex?

Penelope Architect has a few layers to it. The base layer is the caramel and oak flavors you’d expect in a bourbon. In addition to those, it has a bit of wheat and rye spices that give it a spicier finish than your typical bourbon.

The bottle has an excellent label describing the flavor profile for this whiskey:

Penelope Architect Review - Bottle Back Label - Secret Whiskey Society

What are Penelope Architect Build 5’s strongest attributes/flavors?

The addition of French oak staves gives Penelope Architect a huge boost over the standard Penelope Bourbon. You still get the wheat and rye notes in this one since it’s a four-grain, but the extra oak, dark fruits, and caramel give it a lot more character.

Is Penelope Architect Build 5 a go-to whiskey?

I could see Penelope Architect being a go-to whiskey for anyone who likes a bit more spicy flavors in their bourbon, but then again I would assume someone would just go for a typical rye like New Riff Rye for a slightly cheaper price point.

Is Penelope Architect Build 5 priced accurately to its quality?

Penelope Architect is a bit pricey at the $63 price tag and I think its quality delivers more around the $40-50 price point. While it’s a good whiskey, I would recommend getting this one if you’re a fan of four-grain bourbon or already know you enjoy Penelope bottles.

Conclusion for Penelope Architect Build 5

Overall, Penelope Architect is a good whiskey. I finished my entire glass for this review which means I kept going back for more. I wish this were a $45 bottle and I would buy it more often when I see it.

If you’re interested in reading about my favorite of the Penelope lineup, I would absolutely recommend reading my Penelope Toasted Series Review and buying yourself a bottle. It’s by far my favorite of the Penelope offerings.

Let Us Know What You Think

We hope you enjoyed this tasting experience with us.

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Thanks for reading and cheers!


Brad

Brad is the creator of Secret Whiskey Society. Over the past 10 years, he has tasted and officially reviewed over 400 whiskeys and has documented his whiskey journey over the years. With a collection of over 800 bottles, he invites you to join him as he tastes each bottle while giving first impressions and decision on whether each bottle is worth its price tag.

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