When I first tried Penelope bourbon, I was not a huge fan, but merely thought it was ok. But after they got bought out by MGP and thereby had access to some amazing barrels of whiskey, I was really impressed. So when Hokus Pokus offered a bottle of Penelope’s Architect “Creme Brulee” bourbon, I decided to take a chance at $73 that this could be a really good bottle. The bourbon is aged stated at five years and finished with french oak staves, and is a nice 110 proof. My research reveals that this bourbon was made using MGP’s high rye mashbill of 75% Corn, 21% Rye, and 4% Malted Barley, rather than the four grain recipe used in earlier Architect releases. My research indicates that this is a fairly limited release, and my experience indicates that also; this was not on the shelves at Hokus Polkus but was in the back.

What is also unique is that the oak staves come from Tonnellerie Radoux, France, a renowned barrel cooperage, and they use a proprietary technology called Oakscan, which determines the amount of tannin in oak. The staves come in three types, Delicate, Complex, and Intense. This bourbon had Complex French Oak staves, which are medium-tannin designed to contribute a wide and complex aromatic palette, including roasted, spicy, and vanilla notes.

The color on this is a nice deep amber, reflecting good barrel influence over the five years. On the swirl you get a thin film with long legs that ultimately leave big droplets clinging to the glass; a nice oily whiskey. The nose is pretty traditional bourbon but definitely heavy on the vanilla; just loads of it. There is also some oak in the background. On the palate, the vanilla is very assertive, but is accompanied by rye grassy notes, which is not surprising given the mashbill. I am not a big fan of rye grassy notes, but am not offended here because it keeps this bourbon from being cloyingly sweet. There are also some peppery notes, including black pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon. There are hints of youthful bitterness in there, but they are very minor and the other wonderful flavors powerfully overshadow it. On the finish, the vanilla fades into caramelized sugar, toasted marshmallow, oak, English pipe tobacco, and a hint of cocktail bitters.

This is a very interesting bourbon. While the appellation “Creme Brulee” is correct in that it has those dessert flavors of vanilla and caramelized sugar, this is name doesn’t really match the bold flavors that this whiskey has, along with rye influence. Like the Estate Collection, the Architect Collection from Penelope is now definitely on my radar.