Penelope Riviera Whiskey Review (2026)

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 my kudos for its comprehensive transparency. From the start, Penelope made no secret of the fact 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.

 

Penelope has a product line called Cooper Series, centered on the art of cask finishing. If you assume that cooper refers to the art of barrel making, you’re as wrong as I was. The name comes from Mike and Kerry’s son, Cooper. Its newest Cooper Series whiskey is called Riviera. It is a blend of 8-year-old Light Whiskey and Straight Bourbon finished in rosé wine casks sourced from Spain.

 

Packaged in 750ml bottles at 47% ABV (94°), it carries a suggested price of $79.99 and is non-chill-filtered. Penelope Bourbon was kind enough to send a sample bottle in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. I am grateful for this opportunity to #DrinkCurious.

 

• Whiskey Type: American Whiskey
• Distiller: MGP
• Age: NAS (the Light Whiskey aged 8 years)
• Mashbill: 74% corn, 7% rye, 16% wheat, 3% malted barley
• Cooperage: Finished in rosé wine casks sourced from Spain
• Alcohol Content: 47% ABV (94°)
• Price per 750mL: $79.99
• Non-chill filtered

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to explore Riviera neat. It is a very orange whiskey that produced a thick rim with husky, slow, crazed tears.

 

Nose: The air in my whiskey library was filled with floral notes as I waited for the requisite 15 minutes for the whiskey to acclimate. When I held the glass beneath my nostrils and started sniffing, I encountered strawberries, boysenberries, honeysuckle, and flowers. As I pulled the air through my lips, I tasted honeysuckle.

 

Palate: The first sip revealed a dense, creamy mouthfeel, with a massive palate-shock of eucalyptus. With the second, I could discern a floral note, along with mint and vanilla on the front. The middle unveiled strawberries, melon, and caramel. The back included flavors of white pepper, lightly toasted oak, and milk chocolate.

 

Finish: Milk chocolate, white pepper, melon, vanilla, mint, and floral notes remained in my mouth, yet, interestingly, nothing in my throat. The intensity started strong and quickly faded; the entire duration was 52 seconds, placing it somewhere between a short and medium finish.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Riviera is definitely geared toward summer evening sipping. It is light and fruity, yet the classic boldness of MGP’s American Light Whiskey is featured prominently, so much so that I initially found it challenging to find any remnants of a Bourbon component. As the session continued, the Bourbon came out to see what was going on. The big secret is you must get past that palate shock!

 

I don’t believe 15 minutes is nearly enough for Riviera to breathe; it needs about 20, or perhaps even more. That’s asking a lot for most whiskey drinkers; even peat heads aren’t that patient. However, once you get there, you’ll find Riviera to be well-balanced. It drank right at its stated proof.

 

I’ll say it again; let this one open up, or you’re likely going to be disappointed. That’s the only reason I’m giving Riviera my Bar 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.