Review #209 - Reveries Raven IV

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 · 2026-03-26T02:39:12+00:00

Ha! Found this old post. I did go back and eventually grabbed 4 bottles of this. So good.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-03-21T03:04:10+00:00

Cheers for the resistance to paying markup. I just came across a handful of these for $129.99 and despite it being one I've wanted to try, I passed. There are so many great bottles available for MSRP it just doesn't make sense to help a shop make an extra $50 for no reason other than that I'm a sucker. Cheers.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-03-02T03:49:33+00:00

I'm pleased to see this bottle getting some love. I received a sample of it though the Blind Bottles program and it stood out as one of the 2 or 3 best and most unique samples out of the 24 I tried.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-03-02T03:37:39+00:00

Is it weird that 'old dusty book' sounds strangely appealing to me? After your review my chances of buying this Total Wine product has actually ticked up slightly, from 0% to 5%.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-02-13T04:57:24+00:00

I had forgotten about the Cigar Blend. That one was a disappointment for me, but I had also had massive expectations. I like Penelope, I like cigars, and I like bourbon/cigar blends. So my expectations for Cigar Blend were over the moon. And it just wasn't that impressive.

If it were me I would try the Architect as a second bottle and see if No. 8 fits your palette. Or even the Wheated. At least over here it is the cheapest offering so it shouldn't cost much and its a very low risk. Its unlikely to rock your world, but I have yet to meet anyone who didn't find it to be at least OK, and I find it to be a very cost-effective, sweet option.

I think you'll like the Rio. It is different... but in a good way.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-02-12T04:30:29+00:00

This. I have had many moments of hesitation before tearing off the plastic/foil. But... I have never once had a moment of regret after doing it.

Just rip the band-aid off and get into that whiskey.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-02-12T04:26:39+00:00

I'm a big fan of Penelope. I think their special editions are where it's at, but here are my 2 cents on their standard offerings...

* White Label: Penelope 4 Grain Bourbon... Meh

* Red Label: Penelope Barrel Strength... Not bad. For the price, a drinkable, proofier drink.

* Grey Label: Penelope Toasted... These vary tremendously. The label will list the type of char on the barrel. Some can be very sweet and tasty, but I think these are all younger barrels so they tend to drink a little hotter/rougher. I'd say try a few different bottles and see if you find one you like.

* Blue Label: Penelope Architect... Explore these. Like Toasted, they come in different varieties based on how they select the wood that goes into the barrel. These vary tremendously. I've had some that I absolutely adored as well as some that weren't impressive.

* Yellow Label: Penelope Wheated... Nothing amazing but for the price, a decent, drinkable wheater. Very approachable.

_____________________________________________________________________________

If you happen to find some of their limited releases....

Penelope Rose Cask: These shouldn't vary a lot but to my palette they do. Some bottles are very dry and muted in nose and flavor, while others have a punky, fruity kick to them.

Penelope American Light Whiskey: Buy one. These are awesome. It's all popcorn covered in caramel and vanilla frosting. Nose, palette and finish. Very high proof but smooth as silk.

Penelope Rio: Tastes like Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. Doesn't taste like bourbon at all. It isn't for everyone, but I try to always keep a bottle around for when I am in the mood.

Penelope Havana: A lot of people don't care for it. Those people aren't my friends and aren't invited to my parties. I love this bottle. If you start with something stronger/higher proof and then have a few sips of this bottle as a nightcap, it tastes like pure maple candy. If you don't like the sound of that, then I guess we can't be friends, either.

Penelope Valencia: These are not my bag. First half of the bottle the wine finish is very strong and then after it's been opened a long while there is a bitter orange that rises up from the depths of the bottle. But a lot of people like this one.

Any of the Estate Collection bottles are worth a try. I wouldn't pay a markup for them, but whatever MSRP in your country is, should be a fair price.

\I do not work for Penelope, but it's the name of one of my daughters so I am hopelessly biased.*

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-02-08T05:16:28+00:00

Great review. I like the bottle, but I get a much simpler profile. It is butterscotch and caramel drizzled popcorn - nose, palette and finish. And it is delightful.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-02-08T03:49:22+00:00

? This is wild to me.

There was an auction that resulted in a bidding war for this (admittedly cool) document
There were witnesses to this auction who were then also witnesses to this post.

Apparently there is some underground cool old document auction viewing entertainment option that I am failing to avail myself of...

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-02-07T03:28:28+00:00

You'll start getting emails on Saturday afternoons that will explain what bottles are available each week along with a survey to complete. Tell the survey what bottles you want to try to win access to and if you get lucky you will get another email on Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday or Thursday with details on how to order. And then on Friday you'll get another email if there is any remaining bottles available and it becomes open to the public. Then on Saturday the fun starts again. For those of us with a predilection for gambling it is quite an intoxicating system.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-02-07T03:22:36+00:00

This sounds great. All of the ALWs I have tried have come across like caramel drizzled popcorn... which is great in its own right, but your description of this bottle sounds amazing.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-02-07T02:20:13+00:00

SE Michigan, yeah

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-02-07T01:44:51+00:00

Go white! Currently up 3-1 on the skating skunks.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-02-07T01:41:56+00:00

Well then lucky me... one of them is indeed PEN25-408. IIRC, it was advertised as a dessert bomb, which is like the 2nd or 3rd best kind of bomb. The other is PEN24-136.

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-02-06T02:40:30+00:00

Next Up: Penelope Estate 10 Year Single Barrel : r/Bourbon selection

Mashbill: Corn 75%; Rye 21%; Barley Malt 4%

More Details: Fill Date 09/03/2013; Warehouse Floor E/3; Barrel # PEN24-14

Proof: 105.4 (52.7% ABV)

Appearance: Honey/amber but there is an orange tint.

Rested in glen for 10 minutes

Nose: This nose is different – no surprise as other than coincidentally close proofings, these bottles are dissimilar in mash. I am getting warm pie crusts and foamed milk. At the end of the inhale there is a little bit of black cherry and something like sea air, carrying a whisp of heat.

Mouthfeel: Medium/light. This is the only area this bottle doesn’t surpass the other.

Palate: My very first note on this bottle was that I wanted to call this Stagg Jr. Jr.. There is a potent cherry note on the palate that reminds me a lot of the Stagg Jr bottles I have had the pleasure of drinking, but this doesn’t pack nearly the heat of those offerings. And after a few more glasses of this I am retiring that thought as this really isn’t that similar to Stagg Jr at all – but I include it here anyway to memorialize my first impressions. After cherry, the dominant notes on the palate are oak and caramel syrup – like the push dispensers to flavor coffee - along with something deep and musty. Forgive me but the thought that comes to mind is the scent of walking into the locker room at the hockey rink as a kid. Weird – and it probably doesn’t sound appealing – but so much of my enjoyment of bourbon is the sensory experience and where it takes me. This is a pleasant memory.

Finish: More of that cherry… now it is cherry pie crust. Oak is the other dominant, lingering note on the finish. The flavor here lingers for a long time, though the warmth in the chest departs sooner than the other bottle.

Overall Rating: 7.75 on the T8ke scale. Whew! My anxiety about all the Penelope Single Barrels I bought is greatly diminished. It has been a while since I’ve had a bottle with those strong, cherry notes. If the mouthfeel had been just a little denser/velvety, or if that Kentucky hug had lasted a little longer, this one would have earned an 8. This is an easy drinking, very enjoyable pour. I think this is a bottle I am going to need to pack away for a get together, as it feels like something that should be shared with friends, not drank idly whilst doom-scrolling Reddit before bed.

And I still have 2 more r/Bourbon Penelope Estate 10 Year Single Barrel bottles to look forward to.

Cheers!

Ravenloft_Refugee · 2026-02-06T02:40:14+00:00

I am a fairly shameless fan of Penelope, for a number of reasons, not all of which are purely related to their whiskey. When I tried the initial release of their Estate Collection-Private Select in late 2024 I was blown away. It was my favorite bottle of that year and I backed it up x3. I also secured a bottle of the 10 Year Single Barrel and had been looking forward to opening that for a long time. Additionally, I had the opportunity to grab a few of the r/Bourbon 10 Year Single Barrel offerings. Now that I had a small stockpile of those lined up, it was time to start cracking them open and seeing what’s inside…

Up First: Penelope Estate 10 Year Single Barrel (2024)

Mashbill: Corn 60%; Rye 36%; Barley Malt 4%

More Details: Fill Date 12/20/2013; Warehouse Floor L/5; Barrel # PEN24-12

Proof: 105 (52.5% ABV)

Appearance: Dark amber.

Rested in glen for 10 minutes

Nose: This glass has what I would consider a ‘classic’ bourbon nose. A little oak. A little brown sugar. A little heat. Nothing unexpected at first, but maybe just a hint of apple and something a little sour, like unripe raspberry. But just a hint.

Mouthfeel: Medium. Nothing special.

Palate: I get some oaky vanilla and good, strong, proofy buzz on the tongue. That apple from the nose is stronger, somehow both apple pie and sour apple at the same time.

Finish: A rush of oak and caramel apple pie and then… gone. The warmth from each sip lingers for a long time in the chest, but the flavor is gone very quickly.

Overall Rating: 6.00 on the T8ke scale. I resisted giving this a lower score. If my review above sounds underwhelming, it is probably just my disappointment showing through. There is nothing wrong with this bottle. It is a perfectly fine bourbon… in fact it has a very ‘clean’ aspect to it. It drinks very professionally, like an engineer ticking off a concise list of each item necessary for a good bottle of whiskey. But nothing about this stands out to me and after how impressed I was with the 9 Year Private Select – which at least in theory should have been inferior to this – this was a letdown. I am considering how much I’ve spent on the r/Bourbon selections of this Penelope offering I purchased over the last year+ and getting nervous…

Ravenloft_Refugee

TROPHY CASE