Tortured Bourbon Does Dessert: Maker’s Mark “Éclair & Present Danger,” Penelope Crème Brûlée & Penelope Marshmallow Toast

Nov 21

If you’ve been hanging around Tortured Bourbon long enough, you know we’ve done some wild things in the name of “research.” We’ve blended bourbons we probably shouldn’t have blended. We’ve chased age statements like they were Pokémon cards. We’ve argued about whether “nutmeg-forward” is a compliment.

But tonight’s episode is something we’ve never attempted before.

We didn’t just bring bourbon to the table…

We brought dessert.

Three bourbons.

Three iconic sweets.

One mission:

Does dessert make bourbon better… or does bourbon make dessert dangerous?

Watch the full episode here:

👉 https://youtu.be/jBVzd51OmsQ

Heather and B took the challenge seriously. Too seriously. The sugar crash was immediate, spiritual, and borderline existential. But the bourbon? Oh, the bourbon was glorious.

Below is the full breakdown of the three pours, their dessert partners, Katie’s Corner tasting notes, and why this may be the most unexpectedly delicious episode we’ve ever filmed.

MAKER’S MARK PRIVATE SELECTION — “ÉCLAIR AND PRESENT DANGER”

Paired with: A Classic French Éclair

Proof: 111.1

Mash Bill: 70% corn, 16% red winter wheat, 14% malted barley

Finishing Staves:

3 Baked American Pure
3 Seared French Cuvée
3 Maker’s 46
1 Toasted French Spice

If bourbon could wink at you, this one would.

Maker’s Mark is already known for its soft wheat sweetness, but their Private Selection program takes things to a whole new pastry-adjacent level. With ten custom finishing staves, stores can sculpt a dessert-like profile — and this pick leans fully into the bakery case.

Why “Éclair & Present Danger”?

Because it really does smell like a bakery exploded inside a rickhouse.

Before even taking a sip, you get waves of vanilla icing, warm pastry shell, soft baking spice, and just enough oak to remind you that you are indeed drinking bourbon and not chocolate custard.

Katie’s Corner Notes

Katie absolutely lit up with this pour:

Nose: vanilla bean frosting, milk chocolate, warm pastry, toasted spice
Palate: cream-filled sweetness, caramel drizzle, cinnamon sugar, rounded oak
Finish: silky vanilla + chocolate icing that lingers way longer than it should

Paired with the actual éclair, the bourbon enters dessert nirvana. The chocolate top enhances the chocolate notes; the custard filling blends into the wheat sweetness; the pastry shell echoes the oak warmth.

PENELOPE ARCHITECT CRÈME BRÛLÉE

Paired with: Classic Crème Brûlée (Heather insisted on using a blowtorch)

Proof: ~110

Mash Bill: 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley

Finish: French oak staves from Tonnellerie Radoux

If the Maker’s pick is “dessert at the bakery,” the Architect Crème Brûlée is dessert at the fancy restaurant where the waiter sets things on fire for flair.

Penelope Architect already leans silky, sweet, and toasty — but this edition leans fully into the brûlée world.

Why It Works

Crème brûlée is about contrast:

custard vs. crunch, sweetness vs. char.

This bourbon mirrors that duality perfectly.

Katie’s Corner Notes

Nose: caramelized sugar, light oak smoke, vanilla custard
Palate: melted toffee, whipped cream, charred sugar, nutmeg
Finish: the bottom of a crème brûlée dish — caramel + toasted sweetness

Paired with the dessert, the flavors stack like a symphony. Custard enhances the vanilla notes. The burnt sugar top amplifies the oak. Every sip feels like a luxurious swirl of cream and caramel.

PENELOPE MARSHMALLOW TOAST (TOASTED SERIES)

Paired with: S’mores

Proof: ~110

Mash Bill: 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley

Finish: Toasted barrel

Now we leave the bakery and bistro behind and head straight for the campfire.

Penelope Marshmallow Toast tastes like childhood nostalgia aged in toasted oak — and it’s ridiculously perfect with a s’more.

Katie’s Corner Notes

Nose: roasted marshmallow, brown sugar, graham cracker, vanilla
Palate: caramel syrup, butterscotch, cinnamon, dried fruit
Finish: perfectly toasted marshmallow — the one that caught on fire but still tasted amazing

With an actual s’more beside it, something magical happens. The bourbon’s toasted barrel finish mirrors the marshmallow’s char, the chocolate echoes the bourbon’s caramel sweetness, and the graham cracker ties into the oak.

It’s warm, nostalgic, and dangerously good.