Over the past two years, I have really become a fan of the Penelope Bourbon Bottling Company. Setting aside their acquisition by Ross and Squibb, and now their access to unbelievable bourbon and whiskey, their core lineup of bottles and the new annual releases have all been hard hitters in my opinion. Today’s review comes from the Penelope Bourbon Bottling Company and is their 2025 release of Penelope Rio.

Bottle Information

From the Penelope Bourbon website: Penelope Cooper Series takes our straight whiskeys on a world tour, pairing Penelope with wine casks from the finest wine making regions. Inspired by the joy of Brazil, Rio delights the senses with a double cask finish of American honey and Brazilian oak. The two make perfect dance partners, rich and sweet, with surprising depth. It’s a carnival in a bottle.

• Distiller: Bottled by Penelope Bourbon Bottling Company
• Mash Bill: 74% Corn, 16% Wheat,7% Rye, and 3% Malted Barley
• Proof: 98
• Age: NAS
• Year: 2025
• MSRP: $89
• 2025 National Average: $165
• Official Website

New releases, let alone limited releases from Penelope have been extremely difficult for us to find in the NoCo area. This was the only bottle of Rio we saw this year, and the only limited release we have seen from Penleope in 2025 so far. Overall, this is an amazing bottle with a solid note of Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal mixed with honey, bread dough, and slight oak. I will say I am in love with this release, and it makes an excellent after-dinner pour. With that said, let’s get our taste on!

• Nose: Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal! Cinnamon, Bread Dough, Baking Spice, Honey, and Brown Sugar
• Palate: OMG! It Tastes Like Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal Too! Cinnamon, Brown Sugar, Bread Dough, Honey, and Very Slight Oak
• Finish: Medium with Sweet Cinnamon and Honey
• My Rating: Drink It!/Save It! (Wow… just wow. I am in love with this release. Many will not enjoy this, but this is an excellent after-dinner pour!)

Please remember, drinking bourbon is a personal adventure, so do not be afraid to drink it neat, with ice, or add some water. It’s your bourbon, you bought it, and you should enjoy it how you want to enjoy it!

Cheers! Prost! Sláinte!

Bourbon Bossman®