🥃 Penelope Caribbean Flair: Havana, Rio, and Valencia

Penelope Bourbon

🥃 Penelope Caribbean Flair – Havana, Rio & Valencia

Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/DnwXCMXdJF0

If bourbon could stamp a passport, Penelope would be TSA Pre-Check.

In this episode of Tortured Bourbon, Heather and B pack their glasses instead of their suitcases and take off for a three-stop tour through Penelope’s Cooper Series—where American bourbon takes on the world one finishing barrel at a time.

This isn’t your everyday bourbon tasting. It’s a bourbon adventure, complete with tropical sweetness, orange zest sunshine, and enough honeyed depth to make you forget you’re still standing in your kitchen instead of dancing in Havana.

🌴 Stop #1 – Penelope Rio

Heather sets the scene: “A nod to Brazil,” she says, “and maybe a reason to find a hammock.”

At 98 proof, Penelope Rio blends the warmth of American honey with the spice of Brazilian oak. It’s bold, rich, and unapologetically sweet.

Katie’s Corner calls it out perfectly:

Aroma: Sweet honey and cinnamon roll

Palate: Gingerbread, honey nectar, baking spice

Finish: Long, savory, and glowing with honey

B calls it a “dessert pour with swagger,” and Heather nods, secretly wondering if Penelope just invented bourbon’s version of a samba.

🥥 Stop #2 – Penelope Havana

Next up: Havana, double finished in rum and maple syrup barrels.

If Rio was dessert, Havana is the after-party. The 93-proof pour feels humid and alive, rich with molasses and banana bread and that sticky-sweet maple tone that lingers like the beat of a conga line.

Katie’s Corner again nails it:

Aroma: Molasses, banana bread, maple

Palate: Caramel corn, charred oak, candied pecans

Finish: Vanilla, brown sugar, mellow tobacco, gentle spice

Heather swears she gets brown sugar and island vibes.

B mutters something about “rum flirting with bourbon.” Everyone agrees it works.

🍊 Stop #3 – Penelope Valencia

Our final destination takes us to southern Spain. Valencia is finished in Vino de Naranja casks—white wine infused with orange peel—and the result is pure sunshine. At 95 proof, it’s floral, zesty, and different in the best possible way.

Katie’s Corner delivers:

Aroma: Iced coffee cake with blood orange glaze

Palate: Citrus zest and floral lift

Finish: Savory orange peel and mandarin

Heather smiles, “This one’s got vacation written all over it.”

B’s on board. “I don’t know if I’m drinking bourbon or brunch, but I’m fine with it.”

🧭 Why This Series Works

All three share the same mash bill—74% Corn, 16% Wheat, 7% Rye, 3% Malted Barley—but the finishing casks turn them into completely different experiences.

That’s the beauty of Penelope’s Cooper Series: it’s not about reinventing bourbon, it’s about reinterpreting it. Each finish takes something familiar and gives it a new accent, a new rhythm, a new color.

If you’re a fan of Angel’s Envy, Woodford Double Oak, or anything that plays with finishing barrels, these belong in your lineup. They remind us that Kentucky bourbon has room to explore, experiment, and—yes—get a little sun.

🥃 Final Thoughts

By the end of the tasting, Heather’s already planning flights to Spain, B’s reconsidering his rocky relationship with Penelope, and Katie’s still wondering why she didn’t take PTO for this “vacation.”

Three pours, three countries, one conclusion:

Bourbon doesn’t need a passport to travel.

Whether you lean toward honey-sweet Rio, rum-rich Havana, or citrus-bright Valencia, Penelope’s Caribbean Flair series proves that great bourbon isn’t limited to Kentucky soil—it just needs a good barrel and a little imagination.

🏆 Ratings Recap

Which one earns the Cock of the Walk crown?

Who gets a Hush Your Mouth nod, and who falls into Bless Your Heart territory?

You’ll have to watch the full episode to find out.

🎥 Watch now on YouTube →

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