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Exceptional! Taste the char! I should have purchased a couple of these Total Wine Penelope Bourbon Toasted Series store picks. It is excellent; sweet, oaky, spicy, with a buttery toffee palate...and all at the same time. Something about the deep char taste of this batch, char #2, makes it one of my favorite pours of the year. Wow!
Rating: 81
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| Palate |
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| Finish |
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| Uniqueness |
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Ratings breakdown based on a 100 point scale.
- 90-100 Exceptional
- 80-89 Very Good
- 70-79 Average
- 60-69 Below Average
- 50-60 Drain Pour
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Detailed Tasting Notes
Nose Review - Rating: 83
It has an excellent buttery caramel nose with very little ethanol, even at 114.6 proof. You discern its char and richness from the first whiff. I am sure there's more on the nose, but I just finished yard work, and my sinuses are a little clogged. But if I can nose this now, I can't wait until I can smell it, but for now, I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. I have noticed, though, that the more the bourbon sits in the class, the more the wonderful aroma dissapates.
Palate Review - Rating: 81
On this char-driven palate, you get the same thing, an oily richness where you taste its proof—salty, toffee sweet, oaky, buttery, spicy, and rich all at the same time. The finish is the same. Tasty. As the oily sweetness rolls over your tongue, subtle smokiness and clear char are layered on top of all the other flavors. There’s not a lot of complexity on the palate. There aren’t many different notes, but what it does, it does well. I did stumble upon that with a little bit of water; black pepper spice reveals itself. Now, I am not a fan of adding drops of water to bourbon. If I spend this much money, my philosophy is that it needs to be drinkable right out of the bottle. I shouldn’t have to add anything to make it taste better or more complex. If there is any drawback to this bourbon, it that doesn’t always seem to drink is proof.
Finish Review - Rating: 81
The finish is long, sweet, and hot.
Uniqueness Review - Rating: 82
Every Toasted Series barrel has a different mash bill. While I would not say this is a unique offering, Penelope produces this offering very well.
Value Review - Rating: 80
At $74.99 (which is what I paid), this is priced right where it should be in today's market.
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Smell IS taste. I am just a guy who has been hit with the bourbon bug and who has come to the conclusion that life is too short to drink average tasting bourbons. Go Gators!
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