Penelope Bourbon was created in 2018 by lifelong friends Mike Paladini and Danny Polise, and  the brand name is a nod to Mike’s daughter, Penelope. Four Grain Bourbon is the brand’s flagship product, deriving its name from the fact that the bourbon is a blend of wheat and rye bourbon mashbills, which are aged separately before being blended and bottled. It is aged in barrels charred with #4 staves and #2 heads.

‍‍MGP Ingredients and its Luxco, Inc. subsidiary reached an agreement in May 2023 to acquire 100% of the equity of Penelope Bourbon. Since its inception, Penelope has used MPG-produced bourbons in all its products and continues to do so since its acquisition.

‍‍Penelope’s core products include Wheated Bourbon, Architect, Barrel Strength, and Toasted Bourbon. Their limited releases include Rio, Havana, Rosé Cask Finish, Valencia, Tokaji Cask Finish, Toasted Rye, and American Light Whiskey.

The whiskey starts off with a summer-like aroma led by ripe apricot, peach, and mango scents. The intensity is surprisingly potent for its proof point. Traditional vanilla, caramel, and oak scents carry the aroma’s backend to a very enjoyable degree. It all comes together well with a fleeting touch of lemon zigzaging throughout. It’s classic at its core, yet its tropical fruits raise it up and make it surprisingly memorable.

A soft mouthfeel brings notes of butterscotch, honey, nectarine, and cantaloupe. A transition to mellow oak and delicate floral notes creates a welcoming exchange, but lacks impact. Though it’s a light sipper, some creaminess is present. While it lacks many traditional flavors that other 80 proof bourbons typically focus on, it instead charts its own course thanks to its fruit and floral notes. The result is an approachable flavor profile that is thoroughly smooth, delivering rounded and sweet flavors that are even a little juicy, thanks to the palate’s inherent fruitiness.

The conclusion of the sip takes a noticeable diversion from what came before it. The fruit dissipates and is replaced with a rise of mild rye spice. This by-the-book contrast works as it’s designed to as you enter into the bourbon’s final phase. Toasted oak brings cinnamon sugar and caramel chew candy notes to a pleasing effect. The finish, like the palate before it, lacks impact. Instead, the finish offers diversity by offering more spice and oak compared to the prior parts of the sip. Though not exciting, it’s effective nevertheless.

Penelope Bourbon wasn’t the first to develop a four-grain bourbon, but they were probably the best at marketing one on a large, persistent scale. Typically, a bourbon’s secondary grain is rye, with a few brands swapping it out for wheat. Rye was typically used to add spice and contrast, while wheat was used to soften and sweeten a whiskey. Both were also meant to fill out the range of flavors that corn didn’t bring. Penelope saw the opportunity to offer both, going against the "have your cake and eat it too" proverb.

Penelope then took it two steps further and decided to market their four-grain bourbon to an often neglected demographic group of bourbon drinkers, including younger, female, and new drinkers. In doing so, they also set the proof to the lowest allowed by law to still be called a bourbon. Finally, they had to blend MGP-produced bourbon, which was already everywhere in the market, in a way that appealed to all demographics.

Penelope Four Grain Bourbon doesn’t taste radically different from other MGP-distilled bourbons, but there is a favor towards light tropical fruits that lean into a noticeably sweet tasting bourbon. With a gentle rise of rye spice during its finish, Penelope Four Grain Bourbon accomplishes what a four-grain bourbon should be, but doesn’t venture too far beyond that.

Penelope has always been budget-conscious when pricing their Four Grain Bourbon. When it launched as a 2 year old bourbon, it carried a $40 price tag. Seven years later, the bourbon’s age has increased to 4+ years and carries the same price, although it’s often found below that. Since being bought by MGP, Penelope has lowered the price of every one of their whiskeys, including limited edition releases. For a brand that has grown in popularity since they launched, there probably wasn’t a need to do this. Even though they are no longer the middleman and getting their bourbon straight from the source, they have used their new position to offer goodwill toward their customers, which always goes a long way toward building consumer loyalty.

There are a number of bourbons to compare Four Grain’s price point to, but a few are more prominent than others. While not a four-grain bourbon, Basil Hayden Bourbon has always been seen as a more premium entry-level bourbon (like Penelope Four Grain) and also features an 80 proof point. It is worth pointing out that its price fluctuates depending on the seller, but its MSRP now sits at $50. Old Elk Four Grain Bourbon, which is produced at MGP, started at $100, but has come down to around $65 now. Four-grain bourbon is noticeably popular among craft distilleries, like Rock Town Four Grain Sour Mash Bourbon at $50, Hard Truth Four Grain Bottled in Bond Bourbon at $60, and Rabbit Hole Cavehill at $60, which are all priced higher than Penelope’s $40 price point. Given Penelope’s demographic, some of which are likely new to bourbon, their Four Grain Bourbon price point is easier to get them in the door at its very reasonable price.

Penelope Four Grain Bourbon doesn’t reinvent the MGP flavor profile, and the reliance on summer fruit notes is quite noticeable. Where some 80 proof bourbons taste watered down, Penelope Four Grain Bourbon retains many distinct flavors without tasting diluted. Though it likely won’t impress seasoned bourbon drinkers, many of whom are accustomed to higher proof pours (which Penelope targets with other releases), Penelope Four Grain Bourbon seems designed for the neglected bourbon drinker. Penelope doesn’t try to woo newcomers with embellished stories of their history, but uses a simple wine-bottle design with a label embossed with a gold “P” with outlines of flowers behind it.

Thanks to their parent company’s quality bourbon and mass production capabilities, they can keep the price down and in line with Kentucky distilled entry-level bourbon at a similar proof point. MGP has been around nearly as long as the Kentucky distilleries, and although it doesn't have the same feel or taste, it's still distinctly its own. While many non-distiller producers sourced their bourbon from MGP, Penelope has managed to skirt this competition by providing quality blends with appealing flavor profiles and attractive marketing. Penelope Four Grain Bourbon might not be an overly exciting bourbon. Still, it appeals to a wide range of consumers, which may eventually convert them into lifelong bourbon drinkers.