Indiana Undercover: MGP-Sourced Showcase – Part 2 | OKI, Penelope, and Three Chord Bourbon Reviews

Aug 11

Indiana Undercover: MGP-Sourced Showcase – Part 2 | OKI, Penelope, and Three Chord Bourbon Reviews

In Part 2 of our Indiana Undercover series, the Tortured Bourbon crew is back with three new sourced expressions that all started life at MGP in Lawrenceburg, Indiana—but ended up with vastly different personalities thanks to bold blending choices, finishing barrels, and a little rock-and-roll creativity.

MGP (Midwest Grain Products) has become the behind-the-scenes powerhouse of American whiskey. While many brands distill their own product, a huge number rely on MGP to produce high-quality bourbon, rye, light whiskey, and more. In Part 1 of our series, we covered MGP’s background and three unique bottles. This time, we take it deeper into the woods with:

🥃 The Lineup

1. OKI Reserve Batch 1 – 114.6 Proof

Blend of 5 MGP spirits: low-rye bourbon, high-rye bourbon, 95/5 rye, rye-heavy corn whiskey, and light whiskey.
Tasting Notes: Stone fruit, vanilla cereal, baking spice, caramel.
Why it’s cool: That creamy light whiskey adds richness and depth you don’t normally find in a blend.

2. Penelope Bartender’s Reserve – 95 Proof

Mash Bill: 74% corn, 14% wheat, 7% rye, 5% barley.
Finished with American oak staves.
Tasting Notes: Toasted grain, vanilla, marshmallow, hint of coconut.
Why it’s cool: One of Penelope’s most balanced, elegant pours—and a great showcase of four-grain MGP bourbon.

3. Three Chord Cask Finished – ~110 Proof

MGP high-rye bourbon finished in honey and toasted barrels.
Tasting Notes: Graham cracker, honey drizzle, toasted oak.
Why it’s cool: Three Chord amps up classic MGP by layering in sweet, bold finishing touches.

🔍 What This Episode Reveals About MGP

It’s easy to assume that all MGP bourbon tastes the same. After all, the source is the same, right?

Wrong.

As you’ll see in this tasting, the differences are dramatic. Blending can add dimension. Oak stave finishing introduces new flavors. Toasted barrels and honey cask finishes can shift the profile completely. And light whiskey—typically aged in used barrels—can soften and sweeten a blend into something unique.

That’s the magic of whiskey: it’s not just where it starts, it’s how it’s treated along the way.

🎙️ The Hosts

B brings the rickhouse rants, music metaphors, and deep mash bill nerdery.
Heather balances the ship with pop culture wisdom, sharp tasting notes, and the rare ability to roast B and review bourbon at the same time.
Katie, our off-camera voice of reason and research wizard, delivers the bottle facts and flavor notes.

Together, they break down the bottles in a blind tasting, discuss the nuances of finishing and blending, and give you real-time rankings based on flavor, balance, and bang-for-your-buck bourbon buying.

🧠 Final Thoughts

If you’re chasing MGP bottles—or just trying to figure out which sourced brands are worth your cash—this is essential viewing. We’ll show you how the same starting distillate can end up as something to sip neat, mix into cocktails, or display proudly on your top shelf.