Penelope Cigar Sessions Chapter 02
American Whiskey
58.7% ABV
$80
Website
We would like to thank Luxco and The Brand Guild for sending us a sample to review.
What the Producer Says:
Penelope Whiskey has partnered with Alec Bradley, the master cigar blenders behind some of the most celebrated sticks in the premium cigar world, to craft something neither could create alone: a whiskey purpose-built for the ritual of the smoke.
Meticulously blended to pair with the nuanced complexity of a medium to full bodied cigar, Cigar Sessions: Chapter 2 is the result of two obsessive crafts meeting in the middle, with every decision made around a single question: does it make the session better?
The answer is in the glass.
Bourbon Facts:
• Type: 36% Rye Bourbon, Barley Malt, and American Light Whiskey
• Proof: 117.4
• Age/Barrel Char: 6 Years
• Mash Bill: 69% Corn, 19% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Tasting Notes:
• Aroma: Toasted oak, dark caramel, leather, baking spice
• Body: Charred brown sugar, sweet corn, cocoa, creamy malt
• Finish: Dark chocolate, seasoned oak, warm spice, lingering sweetness
What Gary Says
Nose: Toasted oak, caramel, cigar paper, chocolate fudge, worn leather, and subtle baking spice notes
Palate: Rich mouthfeel, caramel, butterscotch, honey, oak, milk chocolate, brown sugar, cinnamon and pepper.
Finish: Medium to long, drying with oak tannins, chocolate, pepper spice and smoke.
Comments: The non-chill filtration shows up in the mouthfeel. While I am not a cigar smoker, I can imagine this would pair nicely (and had a friend test-drive this with a cigar, and thought it worked well). It definitely has some similar qualities and leaves me thinking about cigars. I enjoyed this with a bit of water, bringing more honey and caramel corn to the nose, and tamping the pepper on the palate while amping up the butterscotch.