Penelope Straight Rye Whiskey Review

Penelope Bourbon was a 2018 startup that was later acquired in 2023 by Luxco, part of the greater MGP label. The brand itself was named after the founder’s expectant daughter, Penelope. Now appearing in stores across the nation, the brand is known for its classic Bourbon and Rye whiskeys-grain bourbon- but also a plethora of other quality products from its core series, cooper series, and a number of limited releases.

The Rye Whiskey from their classic series is the subject of today’s review. It consists of 93% rye and 7% malted barley, which is fairly standard as rye whiskeys go. Not to confuse anyone, a “straight rye whiskey” technically only requires 51% of the underlying mash to be rye. Additionally, the proof of the dram comes in at 92 (46%), which is a bit higher than the average. “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, as 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.”