Penelope Rio (2024 Release)

BATCH // 24-901 STRAIGHT SMELL - It's like you decided to mix Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Apple Jacks for breakfast cereal. Then, you topped it with honey instead of milk. Imagine the sugary aroma rising from that bowl. That's what this is like. TASTE - Identical to the smell. Extremely sweet, but the honey and amburana flavors are nicely balanced. The texture is a bit sticky and thick. AFTERTASTE - Lingering. All the tastes fade slowly. Still very well-balanced. SHOULD I BUY? - Only if it's at the suggested retail price. It's good, but not my top pick. I think this would be excellent after eating something spicy, as its sweetness could be a pleasant, calming drink for the palate. WOULD I BUY AGAIN? - Honestly, I doubt it. I've skipped three more batches of this since getting this bottle because it's just not my preference. I can admit it's good and I understand why some people would adore it.

Nose: The aroma is unlike any whiskey I've encountered and quite challenging to put into words. It features amburana with intriguing spices and prominent honey scents. Palate: A delightful mix of honey and grain flavors melds together. Notes of pencil shavings, cinnamon, and oak are also detectable. Finish: The texture is smooth, and the flavors from the palate carry through to the conclusion. Initially, upon opening this bottle roughly five months ago, I wasn't particularly impressed. However, revisiting it has led me to appreciate it far more than my initial assessment. While I don't feel the need to seek it out again, I always enjoy exploring novel and distinct whiskey types.

Finally got my hands on one! Let's goooooooo…. Smells: Clearly honey and cinnamon, with a strong cream cheese frosting aroma. It rivals batch 1 for the most incredible scent I've encountered. You could literally make a candle from this. Taste: So light and sweet. It's like consuming dessert. Incredible notes of butterscotch, honey, cinnamon, that cream cheese frosting scent, and then some pleasant oak on the finish. Absolutely delicious. It's astonishing how they achieve this flavor. It resembles a liquid cinnamon roll with frosting. Perhaps a faint hint of coconut too. A friend purchased two, which I initially thought was excessive... now I'm a little envious.

If you don't enjoy sweet and cinnamon tropical delights, then skip this one; otherwise, buy one or even two! My wife and I love this bottle; it's completely different from the Kentucky style oak and tobacco notes. In my opinion, it's worth $110 or less, very savory.

This bourbon's flavor is unique. It's almost like a cocktail with honey and cinnamon. It's more of a novelty bourbon than something for daily enjoyment. I was growing tired of it by the end of my glass.

Pleasant sweetness at first, but I suspect it might become cloying over time. No harshness, and a nice finish. The flavor is great, but I question its staying power. I only had a small taste.