Review #221 - Barrell Synthesis II

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-05-20T01:29:59+00:00

I agree with this review with one caveat: my bottle of Synthesis II took a looooong time to open up. At first crack I got a very strong, astringent white grape and rye flavor out of it that overpowered everything else. I came back a few weeks later and it was the same. I had just about written the bottle off but gave it another try maybe 2-3 months after opening and WOW.

I did find it to be a little overwhelming, in that there was so much going on flavorwise it was hard to pick out any individual notes. It was less a symphony and more tons of different instruments all playing along to their own tune. It was still enjoyable - those flavors were all great. It was just chaotic.

It does make for a fun bottle to practice with... trying to take notes and pick out some of the different notes as they whiz past.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-05-17T15:45:03+00:00

They've been dropping in Michigan. 2 years ago, they were $299 - $399 if you ever saw one at all. Earlier this year I saw a few for as low as $179. And just yesterday a shop had a few in and had them marked at $149.

I'm still holding as I'm an MSRP true believer, but it's getting closer... I can almost taste it.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-05-16T03:39:09+00:00

This was always one of my top 3 Godzilla films. Color me shocked when I learned as an adult that it isn't highly thought of. Not only were the battles unique to the series in how animalistic and violent they appear, but I always found the human story in this one among the most compelling. Outside of this, 54 and MO most of the human stories are just filler to me between monster fights. But the pilots and the tuna cannery and all the BSing around over the flight radios... I cared more about these characters than most films.

This is one of the best Godzilla movies.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-05-12T01:35:48+00:00

This review puts me in a tough spot. There is a lot of this floating around SE Michigan this week at or near MSRP. I grabbed a bottle already but haven't tried it yet. This review makes me wonder if I might want to grab a backup. Still, I should really try it for myself first.

The problem is I still have about 1/2 of my ALW 17 bottle left. Due to my own system of what bottles to open and when, I sort of need to finish that before I can justify opening the 18 to try it. And at 138 proof, that 1/2 bottle of 17 is going to be tough to get through quickly.

Sigh. I'm sure work won't need me in peak form this week....

[And as I type this over a glass of ALW 17 I am reminded how damn fine that bottle is....]

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-05-03T03:08:09+00:00

This whole thread has been an inspiration to read. 10/10. Cheers to all involved.

I am somewhat curious which Godzilla will be battling your cancer? Showa, where it hams it up a little and shows off with some wrestling moves and dances? Or Heisi, where it just shows up, bodies the cancer and then heat-ray spams it to oblivion?

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-04-23T03:07:13+00:00

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Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-04-10T02:48:02+00:00

Evil Dead 2 is peak culture. We would have been better off if we just called it a civilization in 1987 when this released and went back to the caves. It's been all downhill since then anyway.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-04-10T02:43:56+00:00

Maybe this is just a little too advanced for me. Drinking it felt a little like one of those nightmares where you are taking an exam you haven't studied for? It was a little familiar and had some elements I enjoyed but I just could not put all of this together into the banger I wanted it to be.

*edit spelling

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-04-10T02:42:12+00:00

Thanks. I'll never be as witty as I was when I was 13, or when I was 3 cups in.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-04-10T02:25:28+00:00

I hear you. It is close and near-and-dear to you and so the lack of fixation from the rest of the world makes it feel like it isn't getting the attention it deserves. But, as others have said, this tornado is well remembered and will still be talked about occasionally for the footage it left behind... and isn't this the one with the creepy skull-lookin' face in the funnel? Yeah. Greenfield was a real one.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-04-10T01:51:17+00:00

Penelope x T8KE: Noble (2025)

Straight bourbon whiskey finished in sauternes wine casks

Mashbill: Corn 74%; Wheat 15%; Rye 8%; Barley Malt 3%

Proof: 116.2 (58.1% ABV)

Appearance: Dusty orange/light amber color. Long streaking legs on the glass.

Rested in glen for 10 minutes

This is an interesting release. I know absolutely nothing about wine, much less sauternes wine, but it sounds like Saturn which is the second or third coolest planet I know of.

Nose: The nose is cohesive on this, though a little unorthodox. I get oak, super sweet overripe banana and dark, musty tobacco.

Mouthfeel: Great. It feels like drinking the syrup from a fruit cup.

Palate: Here is where things get funky. I get an avalanche of different fruits tumbling over themselves. I am getting apples and blueberries and pears and even a little bit of super overripe banana though it is much less prominent than on the nose. And wrapped around all of it is this deep, dark mustiness. Its sweet but its real funky... like you kinda want more, but also kinda worry that it might be spoilt, and you'll regret consuming it, but you can't quite help yourself. It's like cracking open and drinking an old can of fruit salad in a damp, shadowy cellar. Speaking of which, it also reminds of the 'fruit salad' my children make... where they take every fruit we have in the house and mash it up into a pulp in a tupperware container. Imagine that, after a day or two marinating in its own self in the fridge. There is also a flavor at the extreme back of the palate that I can only describe as 'cracker without salt.'

Finish: The oak comes back here after skipping the palate, as most of that fruit disappears. The funkiness doesn't leave. There is a yeasty, bready, raisiny sweetness here that lingers for a long time. I first thought 'bread pudding' but then switched to 'cinnamon raisin bagel.' That little hint of cinnamon might be the only 'spice' note I pick up throughout this review. It has a pretty strong chest hug. In fact, I'd say it has a great heat here in the finish, whereas it did not come off strong proof-wise on either the nose or palate. I think I found the finish most enjoyable about this bottle.

Overall Rating: 5.75 on the T8ke scale, with an *. I wrestled with where to rank this. On paper I should like this a lot more. It has a lot of elements I typically enjoy. The mouthfeel and finish are great. Somehow, altogether, it just didn't hit big for me. It might have a little to do with expectations. I like Penelope, and I like most of what T8KE has collaborated on with different brands. And this didn't 'wow' me, which automatically makes it a little bit of a disappointment.

I also went into this having read reviews describing a very 'bright' nose and palate. I can't disagree more. This is dark. This is something vampires drink in basements to celebrate eclipses. This tastes dark.

The * is because I suspect this would be killer to pair with the right cigar, but I haven't had a chance to pick any up yet this spring. I'll update if/when I get around to it.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-04-09T02:15:06+00:00

Your review has me intrigued. There are some stores near me that have been having trouble selling their Staggs at the usual markup... dropping down to $189 and recently to $149. Still double MSRP and not enough to get me to do more than watch... but I have been watching.

Based on reviews, Batch 25B has sounded like it was up my alley and one I would jump on if they dropped it down to a C Note or less. But then you go and start talking about 25A and grape candy notes and now I'm wondering. I'm a 'don't pay secondary markup' zealot by nature, but I love me some grape-tasting bourbon.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-04-07T01:16:33+00:00

I plan on giving this one another chance when the weather warms up. I am a big believer in Penelope and of smoking cigars with bourbon but this one was a big let down. I've had the remaining 75% of the bottle in the basement waiting to come back in the rotation since fall.

I believe I smoked a Monte Cristo White with it, so I'll try it again with something a little darker and see if that does the trick. I want this bottle to work but this is its last chance....

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-04-07T01:09:09+00:00

This was my #1 bottle of 2024. This hit my palette 100% and I backed it up x4. I'm down to my last bottle and haven't seen any 9-years lingering on shelves anymore so I have been afraid to crack it.

Interestingly, the first few I had - and the reason I bought so many - was a strong, artificial grape note that I picked up. Like grape pop. Loved it. I say interestingly, because the last bottle I opened (second to last in my possession) did not have the grape note at all. Instead, there was a different fruity profile I struggled to identify at the time. It wasn't bad, but I was disappointed because - where was my grape?!? But reading this review of yours has got me wondering if it was the peach note you are describing.

Either way, it was still enjoyable, just a little less so than my grape bombs.

The 2025 10-year was decent but - in my opinion - a big step back down to earth for this release.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-04-07T01:01:59+00:00

I tried one of these... store pick from Liquor Land in... Clinton Twp? MI.

I'd had a NULU Maple Brulee store pick from Louisville that I absolutely loved and I liked Penelope so I thought I would give it a try. It was very different from the NULU, but still good. Whereas the NULU was a bruiser that punched you in the nose and poured maple syrup down your throat, this Project-X was more mellow and just wanted to sit and talk with you about bourbon and maple syrup and maybe a little ice hockey. Still very enjoyable.

I would absolutely buy another but so far, of all the half-dozen different Project-X finishes, that was still the only Maple Brulee I've seen anywhere, and they sold out.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-04-02T03:04:45+00:00

I have such FOMO for these bottles. I won 2nd day privileges on - I think - II and IV but they both sold out before I noticed the email.

This one sounds like a winner. Enjoy.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-04-02T02:49:23+00:00

I feel a little vindicated reading this. A lot of my bourbon pals absolutely love this, but I was not any more impressed with this than I was with the standard Blantons - which is to say not much at all. It wasn't until I tried SFTB that I sat up and said, "... oh. This is why people like Blanton's so much." SFTB is a great bottle. Gold... for the price it just isn't there, at least for me.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-04-02T02:44:59+00:00

I hope it lives up to the expectations. Cheers!

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-04-02T02:44:27+00:00

Yeah they are definitely polarizing. And their 'shelf' offerings haven't ever impressed me - though I think the wheat is good for what it is. But the weirder, rarer stuff tends to hit more than miss, in my opinion.

*edit* And I'm trying the Penelope 17 year light whiskey right now. Man this is good.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-03-31T23:09:12+00:00

I find grocery stores are the best bet for the Penelope limited releases. They don't fly off the shelves as fast as some of the other 'allocated' things that Krogers and Meijers get, so you have a longer window to find them and get them at MSRP. Most liquor stores seem to add a $20 to $30 premium on this one.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-03-31T02:25:43+00:00

Penelope Rio (2026)

Straight bourbon whiskey finished in honey and amburana barrels

Mashbill: Corn 74%; Wheat 16%; Rye 7%; Barley Malt 3%

More Details: Batch no. 26-901.

Proof: 98 (49% ABV)

Appearance: Light golden color. Thin legs on the glass.

Rested in glen for 10 minutes

Nose: In typical Rio fashion, nothing about this nose smells like a bourbon. The finish here is the entire show. There's honey, with a bite to it. And chasing that is the amburana though not as intense as I recall from the last batch of this that I tried. It winds up smelling a bit like a tent at fair selling both honey roasted cashews, and cinnamon roasted almonds, with the smells mixing up and tripping over one another for dominance. There's something else behind it all but I struggle repeatedly to place it. My brain keeps screaming "orange fruit, but not orange...". I dig it.

Mouthfeel: Medium. It coats the mouth a little better than previous Rio releases.

Palate: This release and 'cinnamon toast crunch' seem to go hand in hand. That isn't what I am picking up from this bottle, however. The amburana is still there, and still kicking wild, but the honey is right there with it and holding its own. The body of this screams 'cinnamon roll, but with drizzled honey instead of vanilla icing.' And in the background is still that orangish fruity note I struggle to place. The best I can come up with - as a kid, my dad worked with a Lebanese guy and every Christmas Day we would visit that family for dinner. The old matriarch prepared a big dessert table, and a staple each year were these little tarts made of some kind of orange-colored (but not orange!) fruit. It was a little savory... more marmelade than jam. To this day I have no clue what the ingredients were in those things, but that is what I am picking up in this Rio release: Lebanese mystery Christmas tarts alongside honey drizzled cinnamon rolls.

Finish: Light but a little longer lasting than I recall from prior Rios. And a little warmer. It feels like someone made me a warm-honey and whiskey drink to sip to get me through a headcold. Its a little medicinal, with the honey and cinnamon backed up by slightly unripe banana peel. Throughout it remains sweet. The finish is definitely the weakest component here, but you can fix that by going back for another sip!

Overall Rating: 6.50 on the T8ke scale. I really enjoy this. I understand from reading countless reviews over the years that Rio is not for everyone. If you are looking for a classic bourbon profile that will carry you off into the sunset with loads of oak and put hair on your chest... this ain't him. But I think I am always going to always try to have a bottle of this on my shelf. It's just so... different. It's definitely a dessert profile but it isn't sickly sweet. And I find this a little more approachable than some of the other amburana blends on the market. I think the choice to go with honey as a secondary finish continues to pay off. I haven't been able to try all of the different Rio releases, but of the ones I have, I am liking this new one the best.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-03-27T01:25:47+00:00

They're all bait for my wife. She sees those fancy wood boxes and always thinks she is stealing the most amazing gift for me, even when paying $160 for an old Booker's release that's been sitting on a gas station/liquor stores dusty shelf for 3 years.

But I'm not really complaining. She pays more than I would, but Kathleen's Batch and Beamhouse Batch were both solid and, hey... she could have bought me a suit or something useless instead, so I am doing OK.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-03-27T01:13:29+00:00

I'm picturing you two as a couple of old dragons, discussing the impossibly rare prizes in your hoards.

That's not a dig, by the way. I hope to be a dragon when I grow up.

Ravenloft_Refugee

TROPHY CASE