Penelope Straight Rye Whiskey Tokaji Cask Finish Batch #3
Specs
ABV: 53.5%
Age: 6 Years, 11 months
Recipe: 95% rye, 5% malted barley, finished in Tokaji wine casks
Distiller: MGP
Country/Region: USA/Indiana
Price Paid (MSRP): $80 ($80)
Tasting Notes
Nose: Dark and sweet. Chocolate, creme brûlée, oak, cinnamon, clove, tons of baking spice, green apple, orange peel and lemon. Really fantastic and smells like a much older MGP rye.
Palate: Medium to thick mouth feel, tannic with more rye and baking spice notes. Strawberry jam, orange, lemon, chocolate, leather, and some floral notes complete the palate.
Finish: Medium length, drying with oak and tannins, chocolate, and lingering citrus.
Rating: 82/100 – Excellent | Really quite exceptional
What an exceptional release from Penelope. This bottle manages to be a rye lover’s rye without going down the traditional herbal note path. The Tokaji finish helps dial in some of the more mature notes found in older MGP ryes (chocolate, leather, oak) while providing relief in its sweetness. Tasted blind, I would probably have a hard time distinguishing it from many of the 12-15 year ryes in my collection. The only area that doesn’t truly impress me is the finish. It’s shorter and more tannic than I would like, though still pleasant. Overall Penelope Tokaji Finish is a huge win and a bottle that I would recommend to any whiskey fan who isn’t sensitive about some extra oak in their rye.
