Penelope Bourbon Unveils Maple-finished Havana

Penelope Bourbon has announced its latest innovation in cask-finished bourbon with the release of Havana.

The Penelope team looked to capitalize on the popularity of maple with Havana, by taking a Caribbean rum finish for a base of molasses and tropical sweetness and augmentiing it with a maple syrup cask finish.

The casks for the second finish were used to age Penelope bourbon, then were repurposed to age maple syrup before being used for Havana’s second finish.

“This is much more than a rum-finished bourbon – it’s a standout in our collection of cask-finished bourbons,” says Danny Polise, Penelope Bourbon founder and master blender. “The maple finish is the perfect complement to the initial rum-finished bourbon by further elevating the blend and creating balance between savory, sweet and oak spice.”

Havana begins with Penelope’s signature four grain straight bourbon whiskey aged four years with a mash bill of 74% corn, 7% rye, 16% wheat and 3% malted barley. The final expression is the result of aging 12 months in Caribbean rum casks and one month in the maple syrup barrels.

Bottled at 93 proof (46.5% ABV), a limited allocation of 4,500 cases (6-in) ship this month at a suggested minimum retail price of $79.99 per 750-ml.

Havana imparts an aroma of molasses, banana bread and maple, the company reports, with tastes of caramel corn, charred oak and candied pecans. The finish features vanilla, brown sugar and syrup with hints of mellow tobacco and spice.

“We’ve been working on Havana for a long time to deliver the perfect product, and we couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out,” says Michael Paladini, Penelope Bourbon founder and VP of strategy for MGP Ingredients. “We really try to push the boundaries of innovation with every release in our Cooper Series. Havana’s double cask finish delivers rich flavor and complexity we think our fans will love.”

Penelope Havana is one of five annual cask finish releases in Penelope Bourbon’s Cooper Series. The other offerings include Rio, double finished in American honey and Brazilian oak casks; Rosé, finished in French Grenache rosé wine casks; Tokaji, finished in Hungarian wine casks; and Valencia, finished in Vino de Naranja casks from Sevilla, Spain.

A product locator for the Penelope family of bourbons can be found here.

This follows the release of Penelope’s Estate Collection.

The post Penelope Bourbon Unveils Maple-finished Havana appeared first on Cheers.