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.

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