Penelope Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review – Classic Series

Penelope Bourbon
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Classic Series
92 Proof
SRP: $44.99
Review

Please enjoy our Penelope Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review by Ed and Dean!

Background – Penelope Classic Series Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review

Over the past eight years, Penelope has built its reputation through experimentation, blending, and innovation. In June 2026, Penelope launched its Classic Series with Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Straight Rye Whiskey, two foundational whiskeys designed for everyday drinking occasions.

The Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey represents the first time Penelope has worked at scale with Kentucky distillate. Although Penelope had previously used Kentucky bourbon in some of its blends, this was its first standalone Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

Details

• Brand: Penelope Bourbon
• Series: Classic Series
• Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Distilled: Bardstown, Kentucky
• Distillery: Not disclosed
• Mash Bill: 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% barley malt
• Age Statement: None
• Proof: 92
• SRP: $44.99 / 750 mL
• Released: June 2026

Tasting Notes — Penelope Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review – Classic Series

Let’s taste it:

Dean:

🛏 Rested: 15 minutes in a Glencairn glass

👉🏻 Nose: Oak, vanilla, honey, anise, graham cracker, and black tea.
👉🏻 Taste: Red pepper, cinnamon, faint red apple, and strong green apple sourness on one sip. Sweet cinnamon occasionally tending toward Red Hots. Very nice mouthfeel.
👉🏻 Finish: Baking spices, lingering spiciness, dryness, and tannins. The heat is not overpowering or harsh.

Ed:

🛏 Rested: 15 minutes in a Glencairn glass

👉🏻 Nose: Moderately sweet, with simple syrup, sweet corn, caramel, a little graininess, rye spices, cinnamon, and raspberry jam in the background.
👉🏻 Taste: Mildly sweet and medium-to-lighter bodied, with rye spices, primarily cloves, caramel, tart citrus, and cinnamon.
👉🏻 Finish: Rye spices, sweet caramel, and black pepper, followed by dryness, a little char, and increasingly noticeable oak. Longer than expected based on the lighter body.

Dean’s Analysis: Honey, Anise & Apple – Penelope Kentucky Straight Bourbon Review – Classic Series

Penelope Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey has an especially interesting nose. Oak and vanilla are joined by honey, anise, graham cracker, and black tea. Although these flavors are not necessarily complementary, I am impressed by their variety. Notably, I do not find any rye spice on the nose.

On the palate, red pepper and cinnamon are accompanied by faint red apple. On one sip, the green apple sourness becomes particularly strong. There is little in the way of citrus or baking spices, nor do I find the traditional vanilla and caramel bourbon flavors I might expect. The cinnamon occasionally leans toward Red Hots, although it is more of a sweet cinnamon. The mouthfeel is very nice, and the bourbon has good legs in the glass.

In the finish, there are now baking spices. The heat is neither overpowering nor harsh, but the spice lingers nicely. The finish gradually becomes drier, with tannins emerging on one sip. Although it is a fairly traditional bourbon finish, it lasts longer than expected given the relatively light flavors on the palate. Unlike many bourbons, the flavors in the nose and finish stand out more than the palate. However, overall, Penelope Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a nice 92-proof easy sipper.

Ed’s Analysis: Sweet Corn, Caramel & Rye Spice – Penelope Kentucky Straight Bourbon Review – Classic Series

The nose of Penelope Kentucky Straight Bourbon is moderately sweet, with a simple-syrup character. In addition, there is sweet corn, caramel, and a little graininess. The graininess was more noticeable when I first opened the bottle, but it diminished considerably after the bourbon had been open for a few hours. Rye spices, cinnamon, and a hint of raspberry jam in the background round out the profile nicely.

The palate is mildly sweet and medium-to-lighter bodied, with flavors that are somewhat less intense than those in the nose. Rye spices, primarily cloves, are joined by caramel, tart citrus, and cinnamon.

The rye spices and sweet caramel continue into the finish, where they are joined by black pepper. Despite the lighter body, the finish lasts longer than I expected. It becomes progressively drier, with a little char appearing later on. Oak also becomes increasingly noticeable with each sip. It is barely evident at first but clearly present after a few sips.

Our Summary: Different Flavors, Similar Conclusions

Dean and I had somewhat different experiences with Penelope Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Dean noted mainly honey, anise, black tea, red pepper, and apple, while I found more sweet corn, caramel, rye spice, citrus, and raspberry jam.

Despite those differences, we both agreed on the overall progression of the bourbon. The nose had somewhat fuller flavors than the medium-to-lighter-bodied palate, while the finish again had more pronounced flavors and lasted longer than the palate would have suggested. Our experiences were more similar in the finish, which became drier, with oak, tannins, and mild char emerging toward the end.

Penelope Classic Series is an Easy-Drinking Bourbon With a Surprisingly Long Finish

Penelope Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is not an especially bold bourbon, but that seems appropriate for what Penelope is trying to accomplish with the Classic Series. At 92 proof, it is very easy to drink, with an interesting nose and a finish that lasts longer than its somewhat light body might suggest.

Although we identified different flavors along the way, both Dean and I enjoyed this bourbon. Overall, Penelope Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a very enjoyable, easy-drinking everyday sipper and a nice addition to the Penelope lineup. Have you tried the Penelope Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey? What did you think? Cheers!🥃

We hope you have enjoyed our Penelope Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review by Ed and Dean! Next, read these related reviews: Penelope Architect Bourbon Review, Penelope Barrel Strength Bourbon Review and Penelope Toasted Bourbon Review.

Note: This sample was graciously provided by the Brand for our review. We appreciate it!

Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us? If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!