Taste Test: Penelope Madagascar Bourbon Is Cognac Finishing Done Right

Penelope Bourbon has released Madagascar, a Cognac cask-finished bourbon built on brown sugar, candied citrus and baking spice. The latest entry in the brand’s Cooper Series is bottled at 99 proof and carries a suggested retail price of $79.99.

Madagascar begins as Penelope’s Four Grain Straight Bourbon, distilled at MGP’s Ross & Squibb Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, from a mashbill of 74% corn, 16% wheat, 7% rye and 3% malted barley. The whiskey aged for roughly four years before moving into Cognac casks for an additional three to four months. The bourbon is then bottled in St. Louis, Missouri, at 99 proof (49.5% ABV).

Madagascar is also the first Penelope release since parent company MGP Ingredients rebranded as Sempreon.

The restraint of that relatively finish will be appreciated by bourbon fans. In our review of Penelope Madagascar, we noted that the Cognac layers over the distillate without overwhelming it, so the bourbon stays in front. The nose reads as crème brûlée with clove, cracked pepper and orange peel, with a grapey Cognac note behind them. The palate adds cornbread, walnut, cinnamon and graham cracker. The finish opens with cinnamon, gingerbread and cardamom, then dries out into leather and raisin.

To learn more, read our full review.

Master blender Daniel Polise said in a news release that balance was the goal. “It was about finding the right balance and making sure the finish added something without taking away from the whiskey itself.”

“With Madagascar, we wanted to explore how finishing in Cognac casks can bring a new dimension to our popular Four Grain Straight Bourbon,” added Michael Paladini, founder and vice president of strategy at Penelope Bourbon.

That mix of vanilla, orange peel and baking spice gives it plenty of range at the bar cart. It pours easily neat, and the sweetness and spice will make it a rock star in cocktails (Old Fashioned, anyone?)

Madagascar joins Havana (finished in Caribbean rum and maple syrup casks), Rio (double finished in American honey and Brazilian oak casks) and Riviera (finished in Spanish rosé wine casks). It is available in 750-milliliter bottles online and at select retailers nationwide.