Penelope’s Black Walnut Old Fashioned RTD Cocktail Review

 

My gosh, it is almost September, and summer is winding down! The scalding heat doesn’t know this as the temperatures seem to climb rather than retreat. That’s a perfect excuse for a cocktail, right?

 

Two childhood friends, Mike Paladini and Daniel Polise, along with Mike's wife, Kerry, went into business together and created their own brand of Bourbon. Mike and Kerry were expecting a child and knew they wanted to name their daughter Penelope. That inspired them to name their brand Penelope Bourbon.

 

Penelope Bourbon earns kudos from me with its comprehensive transparency. From the start, Penelope made no secret that MGP was the distiller. It partners with Speyside Cooperage to source casks for its various oak finishes. Penelope’s whiskeys were initially blended and bottled at Castle & Key Distillery. However, those operations had moved to Bardstown Bourbon Company. Then, in May of 2022, the brand was purchased by Luxco, MGP’s consumer-facing subsidiary.

 

“This ready-to-pour market is exciting territory for us, and we’re innovating again with Black Walnut Old Fashioned – our latest unique take on the classic cocktail.” – Mike Paladini

 

Black Walnut Old Fashioned is Penelope’s second release in the Ready to Drink/Ready to Pour (RTD) category, the first being its Peach Old Fashioned. Penelope created Black Walnut Old Fashioned by blending its signature Straight Bourbon and Rye whiskeys with black walnut bitters and vanilla demerara.

 

If you’re like me and looking at demerara, you don’t even understand how to pronounce it, let alone what it means. I can’t help with how to say it, but demerara is a coarse, minimally processed sugar made from sugarcane and molasses. It is kind-of-sort-of like turbinado sugar, which has a somewhat finer texture.

 

While I’ve had many Old Fashioneds in my life (I usually order a Bourbon Old Fashioned Press), I can honestly say I’ve not had a black walnut version. Will this be sweet, press, or sour? There’s only one way to find out; we have to #DrinkCurious. But, before we get there, I must take this opportunity to thank Penelope Bourbon for a sample of Black Walnut Old Fashioned in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Oh, one last thing: Penelope recommends drinking this chilled or poured over ice. Because I generally avoid ice (because it dilutes your drink), I opted to chill mine in the refrigerator for the day.

 

• Whiskey Type: Ready to Drink/Ready to Pour Cocktail (RTD)
• Distiller: MGP
• Age: NAS 
• Mashbill: Bourbon, Rye, black walnut bitters, vanilla demerera
• Cooperage: Undisclosed
• Alcohol Content: 38% ABV (76°)
• Price per 750mL: $29.99

 

Appearance: I used a Canadian Whisky glass to explore this cocktail. I suppose I could have used a rocks glass, but I like the look and feel of Canadian glass when sipping a cocktail. It was the color of oak; it formed a thick rim and sticky droplets that clung to the side.

 

Nose: Penelope’s Black Walnut Old Fashioned certainly smelled like a classic old fashioned, sans the olives or fruit. I smelled ginger, vanilla, brown sugar, and bitters. Inhaling the vapor through my lips brought what I could swear was cola.

 

Palate: The mouthfeel was somewhat silky; notably missing was a carbonated component. I tasted rich vanilla, molasses, ginger spice, and cinnamon. There was still a cola-like component that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

 

Finish: The entirety of the palate carried completely into the finish. Then, extremely late, came cocoa. Most of the finish wore off in only 34 seconds. Yet, the cola and cocoa stuck around for another 1:10. The duration from start to end lasted 1:44, which, for a cocktail, I’d consider an eternity. Even with a whiskey, that’s relatively long.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: To answer my initial question, Penelope’s Black Walnut Old Fashioned is most assuredly in the press style.

 

I’ve accepted the fact that RTD cocktails demand higher and higher prices. To be fair, the quality has improved tremendously from where this category was just two years ago.

 

There is a lot to appreciate about Penelope’s Black Walnut Old Fashioned. It is almost what you’d expect, plus bonuses, the biggest being that unstoppable finish, which means you can sip it very slowly and, in my opinion, that’s undeniably added value; again, especially for a cocktail.

 

I’ve had some excellent Old Fashioned RTDs this year, and Penelope is damned near the top. It has more than earned my Bottle rating. 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.