Penelope Architects of Golf Hole #2 Review
In-Depth Review
Founded in 2018, Penelope has become one of the fastest growing enthusiast brands in the bourbon world. Quickly developing a robust portfolio of products, Penelope has benefitted greatly from its 2023 acquisition by MGP Ingredients – with now seemingly unlimited access to some of the best stocks aged bourbon anywhere. But even before that acquisition, Penelope seemed to believe in building expressions catered to every season, activity, and palate. Since its founding, it’s been hard to keep track of how many expressions they have: with the Penelope table at whisky events overflowing with expressions with names like Four Grain, Wheated, Rio, Havana, Valencia, Barrel Strength, Estate Collection, Architect and many more. They clearly believe in diversification.
This month, Penelope has launched a new limited expression named Architects of Golf. Born as an ode to the origin story of Penelope, this expression will release different “holes” – all with unique characteristics marked by the scorecard on the back of the bottle. Aged for 6 years and finished with American oak staves, they call this “a pour worthy of the round”.
Today we are diving into Hole #2 – a straight bourbon whiskey that comes in at 94 proof. The bottle notes Hole #2 is 372 yards and a par 4 – for those of you keeping score at home – (does that mean we are expected to finish this all in four pours?). Penelope is launching Holes 1-3 now – with more to come down the line. So should this become your go-to pour for your next early morning round? Let’s jump in and find out.
The distillery has graciously sent me the bottle for review, but my opinions and thoughts remain my own and I have received no compensation.
Age: 6 Years
ABV: 47%
Cask: New oak finished with American staves
MSRP: $59.99
Distillery Name: Ross and Squibb Distillery (Formerly MGP)
Review Date: 6/10/26
Color: Warm Walnut
Nose: The nose begins with fresh cut flowers, white jasmine, toasted oak, and graham crackers before settling into waves of classic caramel and brown sugar accentuated by a pop of red pepper. It’s a layered but welcoming way to kick off the experience.
Palate: On the first sip, I’m immediately hit with the well-balanced and delicate mouthfeel. It’s light and vibrant, letting notes like vanilla, toasted oak, French toast, and clove jump to the surface. It settles on the front of the palate, bringing back some of the floral notes from the nose. The 94 proof makes this extremely approachable – and allows the palate to lean more delicate than bold or fiery.
Finish: Medium length finish with green pepper, dry baking spices, and subtle oak, leaving behind a building heat that manages to make this feel a bit warmer than 94 proof.
Final Thoughts: Penelope’s Architects of Golf feels like it fits its brief incredibly well. It’s the kind of bourbon you expect to drink on a warm summer day amongst friends without punishing anyone for a heavy hand. At 94 proof, this could easily stand up to ice without losing its character and could easily be added to your next refreshing cocktail. It feels like a solid step up from the typical Penelope core range, but doesn’t require you to be a connoisseur to enjoy. And while it won’t hammer you with deep, dark flavors – its gentle well-balanced character that makes it easily sippable for those day drinking summer sessions that won’t take away from your next great shot.
