Penelope Bourbon Blackberry Old Fashioned RTD Review

 

2026 is flying by; it is June already, and the heat and humidity are ferocious! For some, that means that drinking whiskey neat is unappealing. 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 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.

 

Blackberry Old Fashioned is Penelope’s third release in the Ready to Drink/Ready to Pour (RTD) category, the first being its Peach Old Fashioned, followed by Black Walnut Old Fashioned. It is a blend of Straight Bourbon and Rye, orange bitters, and blackberry simple syrup.

 

“An Old Fashioned is one of those cocktails people already know and love, so we wanted to put our own spin on it in a way that still felt approachable and true to Penelope. The blackberry adds a fresh, familiar layer without detracting from the bourbon and rye at the core. You still get that classic foundation with a little something unexpected. It’s balanced, easy to drink, and keeps the focus on the whiskey.” – Danny Polise, Founder & Master Blender

 

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 blackberry version. How will it hold up? There’s only one way to find out; we have to #DrinkCurious. First, I must thank Penelope Bourbon for a sample of Blackberry Old Fashioned in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Oh, one last thing: Penelope recommends drinking this chilled or poured over ice. As 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: A blend of Straight Bourbon and Rye, orange bitters, and blackberry simple syrup
• Cooperage: Undisclosed
• Alcohol Content: 38% ABV (76°)
• Price per 750mL: $29.99

 

Appearance: I used a rocks glass to explore this cocktail chilled. I observed an orange-amber color, and a thick rim was produced.

 

Nose: The first smell I identified was bitters. Beneath that, I found blackberries, cherries, orange peel, brown sugar, and rye spice. As I took the air into my mouth, I tasted orange peel and bitters.

 

Palate: Penelope’s texture was dense and syrupy. There was no shock to my palate. Instead, I found a medley of blackberries, cherries, orange zest, and bitters. Vanillas and caramels from the whiskeys were evident, yet I couldn’t tell you which notes were attributed to the Bourbon or Rye. Like a classic Old Fashioned, there was no front, middle, or back.

 

Finish: The bitters disappeared; I quickly nailed down the cherries, oranges, blackberries, caramel, and vanilla. I could still pick out whiskey – but again, no idea if they are attributed to Bourbon or Rye. There was also a cola component that came from the wings. I also discovered black pepper. Overall, the duration lasted 1:27, which I’d consider extremely long for a cocktail.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: 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 three years ago.

 

I anticipated the aroma to be blackberry-heavy and didn’t expect the bitters to be so dominant. The nose was fruity, but not the star of that particular scene.

 

The palate was familiar as far as Old Fashioneds are concerned. You want the fruit, the bitters, and the whiskey to complement one another. Penelope Bourbon did a good job making it work.

 

There were a few things I missed from an Old Fashioned: the first being fruit and olives. The fruit flavors were there, but I always liked chewing on the orange slice and eating the cherries. The second is the lack of sugar granules. I’ve had a handful of RTD Old Fashioneds, and they mimicked that aspect. The weird thing is that, when I licked my lips, I found that sugar. It still wasn’t grainy, but it was sugary. The third was any carbonation. But, I don’t even remotely expect that with RTDs.

 

I haven’t tried the Peach Old Fashioned, but I did review Penelope’s Black Walnut. I found the latter to be a standout and excellent in every way, shape, and form. I enjoyed the Blackberry; however, it ranks a bit below the Black Walnut.

 

Saying that, the more I sipped Penelope Blackberry Old Fashioned, the more it grew on me. I sat outside on my deck on a hot, humid June evening and thoroughly relished what was in my glass. The lower proof was appropriate, and the flavors refreshing. And, speaking of that, I was shocked that I wound up a bit lit. Sure, I gave myself a healthy pour, but come on, it is only 70°!

Would I spend $30.00 on this RTD? Yeah. It is a 750mL bottle and should fill several glasses, making it a good value. I believe Penelope’s Blackberry Old Fashioned is worthy of my attention, and I can’t wait to share it with friends. It earns 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.