Penelope Bourbon Architects of Golf - Hole 3 Review

 

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 Bourbon just released its Architects of Golf series of Bourbons:

 

“Golf and Bourbon are similar in that they both bring people together. Penelope started as an idea on a golf course, so we felt it was only natural to expand our Architect line into this area. Architects of Golf is a nod to the subtleties of the game and where some of our best ideas took shape. The introduction of American Oak Staves into our blends reflects how small adjustments can have a big impact on the overall product.” – Michael Paladini

 

There are three expressions in this first release, aptly named Hole 1, Hole 2, and Hole 3. Hole 1 starts with its finishing cycle with American oak staves, Hole 2 builds on Hole 1, and Hole 3 builds on Hole 2. Each is aged 6 years. Penelope Bourbon increased the intensity of the oak staves in each subsequent batch. Packaged in 750ml bottles at 47% ABV (94°), each Hole carries a suggested price of $59.99.

 

In tandem with the release of Architects of Golf, Penelope Bourbon has also created a lineup of golf-inspired seasonal cocktails, including the “Pear on the Green” and “The Southern Fairway,” designed to complement the collection’s flavor profiles. It has also introduced the Classic Club Sports Sweepstakes, offering consumers the opportunity to win one of nine trips for two to premier tennis or golf tournaments nationwide. You can enter that contest here.

 

I was offered the opportunity to review one of the three batches in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review, and I opted for Hole 3 as it should be the most complex. I thank Penelope Bourbon for this opportunity. Let’s #DrinkCurious and discover how it turned out, shall we?

 

• Whiskey Type: Bourbon
• Distiller: MGP
• Age: 6 years
• Mashbill: 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels, then finished with American oak staves
• Alcohol Content: 47% ABV (94°)
• Price per 750mL: $59.99
• Non-chill filtered

 

Appearance: I used my trusty Glencairn glass to tee off and experience this Bourbon neat. It had a golden-amber appearance and created a bold rim with thick, fast, randomly spaced tears.

 

Nose: I sat patiently for 15 minutes while allowing Architects of Golf to breathe. When I was ready to begin nosing the whiskey, I smelled intense leather, along with caramel, pomegranate, and nutmeg. I pulled the aroma into my mouth, which revealed rich chocolate fudge.

 

Palate: The first sip unveiled a medium-weight, oily texture and a shock of toasted oak. With the second, I discovered notes of coffee, cocoa nibs, and ancient leather on the front of my palate—the middle of the fairway featured flavors of vanilla, toffee, and nutmeg. I tasted dried cherries, heavily toasted oak, and clove on the back of my palate.  

 

Finish: There was a wild ride of fudge, cherries, clove, vanilla, leather, caramel, and toasted oak on the finish. So many back and forths eventually melded into a long run of heavily toasted oak, which seemed evermore emboldened as time passed. It was a long putt as the ball rolled slowly before falling into the cup at 1:44.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: For $60.00, there’s a great return on your investment. If you don’t enjoy strong toasted oak notes, you’ll probably want to try something else. However, if you’re like me and that’s something appealing, you’re going to love Architects of Golf Hole 3. You get six-plus years of aging and finishing that deliver an almost military golf experience (To your left, to your left, left, right, left!). You’ll forget about all that and think you hit a hole-in-one. My Bottle rating is well-deserved. 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.