Penelope Bourbon has introduced its new Classic Series, featuring a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and a Straight Rye Whiskey designed for everyday drinking occasions. The St. Louis-based brand, which operates as part of MGP Ingredients’ Branded Spirits division, said both expressions will be available in select markets starting this month with nationwide rollout to follow.
Built on eight years of experimentation, blending, and innovation, the Classic Series represents a significant evolution for Penelope Bourbon, which was founded in 2018.
"Since the beginning, our mission has always been to deliver the best possible whiskey to the consumer with every product we release," said Michael Paladini, founder and vice president of strategy at Penelope Bourbon. "We didn’t always follow the traditional playbook, but we always prioritized quality above all else. We’ve been talking about and working toward introducing Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Straight Rye Whiskey for a long time, but we wanted to make sure they were perfect before releasing them."
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The Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is made with a mashbill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% barley malt. The release marks the first time Penelope has worked at scale with Kentucky distillate.
Official tasting notes from the brand describe aromas of butterscotch, vanilla bean, candied orange, and toasted sugar. The palate offers brown sugar, honeyed corn, cinnamon, and creamy mint, finishing with caramel, dark chocolate, and warm spice.
The Straight Rye Whiskey is distilled in Indiana with a mashbill of 93% rye and 7% malted barley. The brand’s official notes highlight bright spearmint and citrus zest aromatics, a body of rye spice and caramelized sugar, and a lingering, balanced finish.
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READ THE STORY"These expressions have been in development for a while," said Danny Polise, founder and master blender of Penelope Bourbon. "Using Kentucky distillate for the bourbon, like we’ve done in past blends, felt like a natural step as we worked to create something we genuinely liked. We kept dialing in the blends until they felt right, especially with the Straight Rye release."
Both expressions are bottled at 92 proof. Penelope Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey carries a suggested retail price of $44.99, while Penelope Straight Rye Whiskey is priced at $34.99.
Penelope Bourbon has earned numerous industry accolades in recent years. Its Toasted expression received a Double Gold medal and Best in Class finalist recognition at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The brand’s Wheated expression earned a Double Platinum medal at the 2025 ASCOT Awards.
The brand operates out of Luxco, MGP Ingredients’ (Nasdaq: MGPI) Branded Spirits division, which also houses Remus, Rebel, Ezra Brooks, and Blood Oath bourbons across its portfolio of four distilleries.
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