Review: Penelope Bourbon Omega
Penelope Bourbon made waves in late 2024 with the launch of its Estate Collection — a new premium direction for the brand. Riding the momentum of that debut, August 2025 ushered in the next chapter of the series, introducing several new releases, including the standout expression: Penelope Omega.
Traditionally, Penelope’s story has been rooted in MGP-sourced whiskey from Indiana. However, following the merger of MGP and Luxco under a single parent company, 2024 marked a pivotal shift. For the first time, Penelope began working with Kentucky-distilled bourbon, ushering in a new era for the brand.
Penelope Omega, Batch #25-1801, is a prime example of this evolution. Distilled in Bardstown, Kentucky, Omega features a mashbill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley. This particular recipe is referred to by Lux Row Distillers (also part of the Luxco family) as their “ryed bourbon” mashbill. However, because Lux Row only began active distillation in January 2018, it’s highly likely that the whiskey in Omega — aged for a minimum of 11 years — originated from Heaven Hill.
After its initial aging in American oak, Omega undergoes a one-year finishing period in French oak casks from the Omega series by Tonnellerie Radoux — a renowned cooperage based in France. Producing barrels since 1982 and operating in California since 1994, Radoux is known for its cutting-edge approach to barrel making, particularly through its proprietary OakScan technology.
Introduced in 2008, OakScan uses Near Infrared Spectrometry to analyze the polyphenol content of each oak stave. Every stave is individually scanned, assigned a Polyphenolic Index (PI), and labeled with a barcode and tannin classification. This level of precision allows Radoux to build barrels with highly consistent and predictable flavor profiles — an innovation that enables both creativity and reproducibility. Since 2009, over 300 OakScan trials have been conducted and more than 10 million staves analyzed.
The Omega casks used by Penelope are made from tight-grain French oak sourced from Central and Eastern France. While the specific oak species is undisclosed, the region is known for Sessile oak (Quercus petraea) and Pedunculate oak (Quercus robur), both prized for their tight grain and aging potential. These old-growth trees, typically 150 to 200 years old, are harvested and then air-seasoned for 36 months before being coopered.
The barrel staves are finished with a unique toasting profile known as Pure — a low and slow toast at reduced temperatures. This gentle process preserves the natural sweetness of the oak by retaining surface polysaccharides and minimizing tannin degradation, resulting in a more refined finish.
While Penelope has not disclosed the exact size of the barrels used for Omega, Radoux openly offers tight-grain French oak casks in 225L, 228L, and 300L formats. Penelope’s previous collaboration with Radoux’s OakScan technology was seen in the popular Architect Series, making Omega a natural — and elevated — progression in the brand’s journey.
Penelope Omega represents a thoughtful fusion of American bourbon tradition with the precision of French cooperage. Omega offers bourbon will a solid age statement and a finish with the finest of barrels. Did the attention to detail pay off? Let’s find out!
Penelope Bourbon Omega Review
The nose opens with a toasted marshmallow note — rich and sweet, yet carefully measured before veering into char. That dessert-like impression gracefully gives way to soft, well-worn book leather, setting a contemplative tone. As the aromas continue to unfold, accents of dried cherry and a hint of nutmeg round out the experience. It’s one of the most harmonious aromatic profiles I’ve encountered in a bourbon finished in French oak, showcasing the barrel’s influence without overwhelming the senses with tannin. The olfactory promise here sets a high bar for what follows.
On the palate, chai spice takes center stage, bringing with it a spiced character that pairs with the subtle astringency of black tea. The toasted marshmallow note from the nose carries through, though here it takes on a more pronounced quality with a heavier toast. Midway through, dark brown sugar surfaces, contributing richness that plays well with the bourbon’s medium-viscous mouthfeel.
The finish is both playful and evocative, beginning with a profile that recalls peanut M&M candies — where roasted nuttiness and milk chocolate blend with ease. This then gives way to a flavor that feels almost tactile: the sticky cinnamon-cream mixture that gets on your hands while preparing canned cinnamon rolls. As the final flavors settle, a dark toffee note persists.
From start to finish — or perhaps more fittingly, from Alpha to Omega — this bourbon achieves a rare sense of equilibrium. Though I’ve had French oak-finished bourbons that I’ve liked, they’ve seldom reached this level of execution. Penelope Omega doesn’t just stand out for its quality — it redefines what I thought possible from this particular barrel finish. At $130, this bottle is not only worth owning — it’s worth savoring.
109.8 proof.
A / $130 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
The post Review: Penelope Bourbon Omega appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider’s Guide to Good Drinking.