Whiskey Review: Penelope Architects of Golf Hole 2

Note: This review of Penelope Architects of Golf Hole 2 reflects the personal opinions of Editor Kyle Swartz. This bottle was sent to him as a media sample.

Penelope Bourbon has announced Architects of Golf, a collection of bourbon expressions inspired by the brand’s origin story. The company said the concept connects to the early development of the brand in 2018, when founders Michael Paladini and Danny Polise developed the idea during a round of golf. The Architects of Golf collection starts off with three expressions named Hole 1, Hole 2 and Hole 3. Each expression uses different stave finishing approaches with varying intensity and time. The suggested retail price is $60 per 750-ml. bottle.

“Each hole represents a distinct batch,” says Polise, Founder and Master Blender of Penelope Bourbon. “They are designed to explore the nuances of different stave profiles and how they evolve the whiskey. It made developing the collection as fun as playing the game.”

Nose

Milk chocolate, mixed fruit candies, caramel, French vanilla, baking spices, touch of tobacco and sawdust. Sweet and pleasant.

Palate

A lot more of the same: milk chocolate, French vanilla, and sweet fruits, plus plenty of bourbony bourbon flavors. The buttery palate overperforms for sub-100 proof. Nice bloom of baking spices on the backend. Very smooth and drinkable.

Finish

As you’d expect, the chocolate turns darker and the fruits get dryer, with the French oak lingering. That butteriness also persists, but overall the finish is on the lighter, shorter side. Then again, this is only 94 proof. And the quick finish doesn’t bother me as much, as this is a drinking whiskey, meant for multiple drams in one sitting.

Upshot

I quite like this. Especially for a whiskey that’s below 100 proof. Penelope Architects of Golf Hole 2 is what a $60 bottle should taste like. Predictable bourbon flavors plus a touch of French oak and butteriness. I broke this open while having friends over for cards last week and happily put back a bunch of pours myself. Good solid bottle.

Kyle Swartz is editor of Beverage Dynamics. Reach him at kswartz@epgacceleration.com. Read his recent review, Heaven Hill Deatsville 13-Year-Old Bourbon.

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