This three-bourbon blend comes to us from Penelope, which was acquired earlier this year by MGP. Bottled at 98 proof, this bourbon is finished in honey and Brazilian Amburana barrels.
If you’re a fan of Penelope Bourbon, you know what the whiskey tastes like—it’s full of grain, vanilla, oak, and dark fruit flavors. But in the case of Rio, those are mostly lost to rampant, aggressive notes.
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House Review
Nose:
Both the honey and the amburana pop here. It's clear this will be a sweet dram with no lack of spices dashed in. There's honey, tobacco, anise, pound cake, potpurri, toffee and a hint of cinnamon. It's definitely sweet on the nose — this could be a cloying one on the palate.
Taste:
The palate is spice first, honey and sweetness second. Toffee, tobacco, warm cookie dough, maple and brown butter pile up first, then the amburana spice storms in. Rich pound cake, potpourri, anise, tobacco and spice. There's less sweetness on the palate than the nose would suggest, but it's still a fairly sweet whiskey.
Finish:
Long finish, mostly amburana influence here with heavy toffee, baking spice and pound cake with a touch of honey.
Overall:
This is a weird beast, but it's a beast all the same. It's not too cloying, and it's complex and layered, but drinkers who don't enjoy sweet whiskeys should steer clear. Those in search of adventure? Dive right in.
Score:
88
By T8ke
Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources
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