Penelope Special Barrel Project X Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished In A Spanish Brandy Barrel

Penelope’s blending team deliberately stepped out of their comfort zone. They secured incredibly rare 132-gallon Spanish brandy casks sourced directly from Andalusia, Spain, aiming to disrupt their own established flavor profiles. The Project X series operates by taking their signature four-grain straight bourbon—a sturdy synthesis of corn, wheat, rye, and malted barley—and subjecting it to finishing vessels most producers never encounter. Why tamper with a successful baseline? The friction between charred American oak and the decadent, dark-fruit residue of authentic Spanish brandy yields a staggeringly complex whiskey.

• Sourced from genuine Andalusian brandy producers
• Finished in oversized 132-gallon Spanish casks
• Extremely limited yield of roughly 240 bottles per barrel

This liquid demands your attention. Bottled at a hefty 109 proof, the sheer volume of these oversized European casks slows extraction. The bourbon pulls intricate layers of toasted wood and subtle sweetness from the staves without entirely obscuring the foundational grain character. It neatly dodges the cloying sweetness that ruins lesser finished whiskeys. Instead, the balance remains shockingly precise.

You get a dram that feels simultaneously grounded and entirely unmapped. A core aging period established a rugged backbone, but that Andalusian influence steers the final product into decidedly darker, more robust territory. It pulls no punches. Highly allocated and notoriously difficult to find, this release proves exactly why meticulous cask sourcing matters so much to serious drinkers.

Nose: Dark, sticky aromas of bruised plum and dried fig immediately hit the senses, underpinned by heavily toasted oak and a faint whisper of roasted walnuts.

Palate: The mouthfeel carries a heavy, oily weight. A surge of brown sugar and crushed baking spices transitions sharply into rich dark chocolate and black cherry, anchored by that persistent four-grain spice.

Finish: Long and resonant. The residual brandy sweetness slowly fades out, leaving dry oak tannins and a lingering heat that securely coats the throat.

The dark fruit and heavy spice of this bourbon demand rich companions. Serve it alongside smoked brisket or a dark chocolate espresso tart. The charred fat of the meat flawlessly highlights the robust brandy influence.