Penelope Marshmallow Toasted Bourbon Review & Barrel Strength Comparison with Special Guest Mike brings a sweet twist to Pour Decisions Wednesday. This week on Tortured Bourbon, Heather and B are joined by Mike — a fan-turned-guest who brought not one, but two bottles of Penelope Bourbon to the table.

First up: Penelope Marshmallow Toasted Bourbon, a barrel strength straight bourbon finished in heavy toast, Char 5 barrels. Packed with flavor notes of marshmallow, butterscotch, caramel, and spice, this toasted bourbon is designed for bourbon drinkers who crave sweetness with depth.

Then, Mike surprises us with Penelope Barrel Strength Four Grain Bourbon — a nutty, rich, and bold whiskey with layers of caramel, toffee, pecan, and pepper. Side by side, these pours highlight just how much mash bills and barrel finishes can shape a bourbon’s character.

If you’re searching for a bourbon review, bourbon tasting, or want to know how toasted bourbon compares to barrel strength classics, this episode has it all. Watch, sip, and decide which Penelope pour wins your shelf.

Bourbon with a purpose. Penelope’s Answer to Cancer isn’t just another limited release — it’s a bottle designed to raise awareness, funding, and hope in the fight against cancer. For us at Tortured Bourbon, it’s personal. B is riding 300 miles to raise money for the American Cancer Society, and every pour of this release connects to that mission. Together, bottle and bike remind us that bourbon can do more than taste good — it can bring a community together to make a difference.

👉 Donate to the ride here: https://gofund.me/06efe610

In this Pour Decisions Wednesday, Heather and B explore Penelope Project X Bourbon—a sherry cask finished experiment that pushes Penelope beyond Instagram-aesthetic vibes into bold, premium bourbon territory. With rich dark fruit, burnt sugar, and tobacco notes, does Project X stand above Architect, Toasted, and Rosé? Watch the blind review unfold.

Three wheated bourbons, one Indiana distillery, and a whole lot of transparency talk. In this Tortured Bourbon episode, we review and rank Rare Saint, Old Louisville, and Fiddler Chin Music—all sourced from MGP in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Proof, finishing, and honesty collide in this deep-dive tasting.

Part 2 of our Indiana Undercover series dives deep into the sourced bourbon universe. We taste OKI Reserve, Penelope Bartender’s Reserve, and Three Chord Cask Finished—all from MGP but with wildly different end results. This is a masterclass in blending, finishing, and flavor transformation.

On this unscripted episode of Tortured Bourbon, Heather and B take on three toasted barrel bourbons from three different distilleries to find out who does “toasted” best. One is a classic, one is elegant, and one is quietly surprising.

On this Pour Decisions Wednesday, we’re diving into a bold locals pick: Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Carolina Beach Barrel 1764 at a fiery 114 proof. Is it a rich caramel Tennessee whiskey or pure ethanol regret? Join Heather and B as they taste, rank, and decide if Carolina Beach has bragging rights — or some explaining to do. Stay tortured, y’all!

This week on Tortured Bourbon, we plug in the electric guitar and crank up the chaos as we dive into New Riff—tasting their Bottled-in-Bond (100 proof) and Single Barrel (117.3 proof) bourbons. Both are high-rye Kentucky classics with serious spice, bold oak, and enough caramel to keep us coming back. We break down mash bills, nosing notes, palate surprises, and run them through our Tortured Bourbon scale. If you love bourbon with attitude—and a little guitar showboating—this one’s for you. Cheers y’all, and stay tortured! 🥃

We taste Maker’s Mark’s 2024 Heart Release and 2025 Keepers Release—two unique Wood Finishing bourbons that prove why Kentucky still rules the bourbon world.

Is the Penelope Peach Old Fashioned Bourbon a peachy summer delight or just a syrupy mess? We poured it neat and on ice to find out — and Katie shocked us all.

🇺🇸 Celebrating July 4th & 1 year of Tortured Bourbon with Evan Williams 1783 American Heroes Edition. Veteran-picked, budget-friendly, tasty.

Join Tortured Bourbon as we tackle Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A125, the first big bourbon release of 2025. Is it a banger or a bust? Full tasting, review, and laughs inside.

Bourbon nerds say Floor 8 is where the magic happens—and in this Pour Decisions Wednesday episode, we find out if the hype is real. Heather and B pop a 100-proof Old Forester Single Barrel pick from the infamous Floor 8. Big flavors, big opinions, and big laughs. Does the floor really matter? Watch and find out.

Two barrels. Two char levels. One flavor war. In this episode of Tortured Bourbon, Heather and B pit Penelope Toasted Rye (char 1) against Penelope Toasted Bourbon (char 4) in a showdown of grain, fire, and finish. From marshmallow fluff to burnt toffee, this toasted battle proves that char level isn’t just a detail—it’s destiny.

On this week’s Pour Decisions Wednesday, we face Heaven Hill’s Grain to Glass Bourbon—an experimental release with full seed-to-bottle control, a proprietary corn strain, and serious craft whiskey ambition. After surviving the peppermint PTSD of their Grain to Glass Rye, Heather and B brace for either redemption or regret in this 107-proof high-rye bourbon showdown.

When longtime viewer and Patreon supporter Tyler sent us four mystery bourbon samples—each with a secret identity—we knew we were in for a ride. One bourbon he loves, one he hates, one we missed in a past episode, and one we can’t even get in our area. With Katie holding the answers until the end, we dove headfirst into one of the most unpredictable blind tastings we’ve ever done. No script. No prep. Just four pours, four guesses, and four people slowly realizing how wrong they might be. This episode was fun, chaotic, and full of surprises—and we’re already ready for the next one.

In this third episode of Pour Decisions Wednesday, we pour one out for Indiana’s heritage distilling with a lesser-known wheated bourbon that’s been turning quiet heads in craft whiskey circles: William Dalton Bottled in Bond Wheated Bourbon from Spirits of French Lick.

Forget the mass-produced mash bills and corporate-age statements—this is bourbon the old-school way: grain-to-glass, pot-stilled, and made with locally sourced ingredients. At 100 proof and over four years old, this craft wheater pays tribute to William Dalton, an early Indiana distiller whose legacy lives on in this small-batch bottle.

What happens when you take three 100-proof Old Forester bourbons, put them side-by-side, and ask two unqualified but overly confident bourbon nerds to judge them? You get one of the most evenly matched, high-proof tasting showdowns in Tortured Bourbon history.

In this episode, we line up:

🥃 The Contenders

• Old Forester Signature 100 Proof

  A classic, budget-friendly workhorse that punches above its price point. Think caramel, banana bread, and a touch of spice—if your everyday pour wore a flannel and fixed your lawn mower.

• Old Forester Store Pick (Single Barrel 100 Proof)

  A more personalized expression with variation depending on the pick. Ours brought the heat and a little swagger. It’s the bourbon equivalent of showing up to a tasting in cowboy boots and quoting Hemingway.

• Old Forester 1897 Bottled in Bond

  Part of the Whiskey Row Series. Same proof, but the story—and price tag—take a leap. Rich, layered, and aiming for prestige with a nod to the 1897 Bottled in Bond Act.

In this episode of Tortured Bourbon, we delve into the heart of Kentucky’s bourbon innovation by exploring the Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Origin Series. Known for their modern approach and commitment to quality, Bardstown Bourbon Company has introduced a lineup that challenges traditional bourbon norms. But do these expressions signify the future of bourbon, or are they just another trend?

In this blind tasting episode, we pit two expressions from the renowned Buffalo Trace Distillery against each other:

• Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon: The flagship offering, known for its consistent quality and widespread availability.

• Buffalo Trace Single Barrel Select: A store-picked single barrel version, offering unique flavor profiles depending on the barrel selected.