Penelope Valencia begins with Penelope’s core Four-Grain Bourbon distilled from MGP’s mashbill of 75% corn, 15% wheat, 7%
rye, and 3% malted barley. The Bourbon is allowed to mature for four years in
new, #4 charred oak and #2 charred heads. Next, the whiskey is placed in former
Vino de Naranja casks from Sevilla, Spain, for a one-year finishing
cycle.
If
you’re like most people, you have no idea what Vino de Naranja is, so let’s discuss
that.
Vino
de Naranja is a Spanish wine made from crushed white grapes and macerated Seville
bitter orange peels. While I’ve never had a Seville bitter orange, if this
author is to be believed, this is not something you’d choose to make orange
juice from or eat.
“These bitter orange trees cover the south of Spain, and their fruit is the most disgusting thing ever grown on trees. They are so bitter, so sour, and so gross that really there’s not much you can do with them apart from make marmalade and flavour wine.” – David Pope, Everyday Food Blog, June 5, 2019
The
wine is then aged in former Bourbon barrels in a solera system. It is a sipping
wine, meant as an aperitif.
It
is pretty cool that this Bourbon is finished in an ex-wine cask that previously
held Bourbon. Regardless, Penelope Valencia is packaged at 47.5% ABV (95°), and
a 750ml has a suggested price of $79.99.
“We’re constantly evolving and tweaking our processes with the goal of making our products better year over year. This year’s Valencia is a great example of the commitment, and we’re excited to share it for fans to enjoy.” – Michael Paladini, founder of Penelope Bourbon
The
big question, of course, is how it tastes. The only way to know for sure is to
#DrinkCurious. Thank you, Penelope Bourbon, for providing me with this opportunity
in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.
Appearance: I sipped
this Bourbon neat from my Glencairn glass. It possessed a caramel-like color,
which, admittedly, I had expected to be orange amber. A medium rim formed
thick, wavy tears.
Nose: Like the
appearance, I expected orange to dominate the aroma. Nope. Instead, I smelled nutmeg,
oak, tobacco, and cinnamon. As I drew the air into my mouth, I found orange
rind.
Palate:
Valencia’s texture was incredibly slick. It slipped across my tongue and throat
before I knew what happened. After a few more sips, I could nail down its
components. The front of my palate tasted tangelos, vanilla, and nutmeg. Tobacco,
leather, and walnut notes engaged with my mid-palate. The back was comprised of
oak, ginger root, and black pepper.
Finish: The medium-long
finish started bold and crescendoed quickly. It then rolled off as if it was on
a shallow hill. It featured vanilla, black pepper, ginger spice, and oak. It
timed it at 1:40.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: No
matter how many times I tried Valencia, that mouthfeel was damned unusual, and
my tongue could never purchase traction. I liked the tangelo and ginger
combination; I appreciate that citrus wasn’t all in my face. The spices were complimentary
to the sweeter notes. There isn’t anything to complain about, and if you desire
something beyond the same-old, same-old Bourbon, Valencia is worth picking up a
Bottle. Cheers!
My Simple, Easy-to-Understand
Rating System
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Whiskeyfellow encourages
you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.
Very nice and thorough review! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Delete