Penelope Architect Crème Brûlée Bourbon Review | Dessert in a Glass or Just Hype?

Sep 10

Penelope Architect Crème Brûlée Bourbon Review | Pour Decisions Wednesday

Is Penelope Architect Crème Brûlée truly dessert in a glass, or just marketing hype? In this week’s Pour Decisions Wednesday, Heather and B dive into this limited release from Penelope Bourbon to find out.

🎥 Watch the full review here: Penelope Architect Crème Brûlée Bourbon Review

Founded in 2018 by Mike Paladini and Danny Polise, Penelope Bourbon quickly gained a reputation for creative finishes on their signature four-grain mash bill sourced from MGP in Indiana. With the Architect Series, they partnered with French cooperage Tonnellerie Radoux to introduce custom oak staves that “architect” unique flavor profiles. The Crème Brûlée edition is designed to emphasize vanilla, caramelized sugar, and toasty bakery notes.

Bottle Specs

Distiller: Sourced from MGP (Indiana), bottled by Penelope (New Jersey)
Mash Bill: 74% corn, 16% wheat, 7% rye, 3% malted barley
Proof: 104 (52% ABV)
Finish: French oak staves, custom “Crème Brûlée” profile from Radoux
MSRP: ~$70–75 (limited availability, high demand)

What It’s Supposed to Taste Like

According to bourbon fans online, the nose bursts with vanilla custard, caramel, brown sugar, and creamy sweetness. The palate adds buttery vanilla cream, brûléed sugar, oak spice, cinnamon, and toasted marshmallow. The finish is silky and sweet, with lingering bakery and oak notes.

How Does It Compare?

Compared to Penelope Toasted, this release leans less on charred oak and more on dessert sweetness.
Versus Penelope Rio, Crème Brûlée delivers a richer, custard-like sweetness instead of tropical fruit.
Against the earlier Architect Series (1–5), Crème Brûlée dials up the creamy vanilla and sugar-crust influence.

Our Take

On-air, Heather and B debate whether this bourbon earns a “Cock of the Walk” ranking on the Tortured Bourbon Scale, or falls flat as an overhyped dessert whiskey. Either way, it’s a fun pour that’s already building a reputation as one of Penelope’s most collectible bottles.

The Tortured Bourbon Scale

Piddlin
Bless Your Heart
That Dog Will Hunt
Hush Your Mouth
Cock of the Walk

Final Thoughts

If you’re a fan of dessert-inspired bourbons or curious about how French oak staves transform a four-grain MGP base, the Penelope Architect Crème Brûlée is worth hunting down. But like most Penelope limited editions, bottles are snapped up quickly, so grab one if you see it.

📺 Watch the full video review here: https://youtu.be/6V90lfFRktw

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