Penelope Rio Review: How Honey and Amburana Casks Build a Cocktail-Like Bourbon

Behind the Pour

Crystal and Roger first encountered Penelope Rio in the wild — spotted at a speakeasy bar, the bottle caught Crystal's eye before she knew its name. That spontaneous bar encounter captures something true about what Penelope does: their Cooper Series is built for drinkers who trust a bottle's presence on a serious back bar before they trust its marketing. Rio is one of Penelope's most sought-after expressions, finished in honey and amburana wood casks — a Brazilian hardwood that adds a warm spice character unlike anything American oak produces. It is not easy to find, and this is the episode that explains why.

What You'll Discover

• The Cooper Series lineup: Rio is one expression in a family that includes Havana, Riviera, Valencia, Takaji, and the Rosé cask finish — each exploring what a different cask finishing choice produces in Penelope's four-grain bourbon base.
• Amburana wood and its effect: The Brazilian amburana cask introduces warm baking spice and vanilla notes with a character distinctly different from bourbon or sherry finishing. The result reads more like a craft cocktail than a straight bourbon.
• How they found it: At an underground speakeasy bar, which says something about where Penelope's audience and the spirit's real fan base overlap.
• S'mores on a warm evening: Crystal and Roger describe the nose as s'mores — graham cracker, marshmallow, chocolate — layered with apple pie cinnamon and honeycomb. Not spicy cinnamon: baked, warm, dessert-toned cinnamon.
• Why you should buy two: Limited availability means this won't always be on shelves. Crystal reflects mid-episode: they should have bought one and kept one. A bourbon that can age a year in your cabinet while its secondary market value climbs.

A Moment of Pourspective

Some bottles find you in a bar before you find them on a shelf. Pay attention to what appears at the best bars in the room — the people pouring those drinks usually know something.

Explore the Conversation

Penelope Rio's story in this episode is partly the story of how Crystal and Roger discover bottles — not only through research and PR samples, but through genuine encounter. The speakeasy moment where Crystal spotted the Rio on a shelf is how a lot of great spirits find their advocates: quietly sitting at the back bar of places that curate carefully. The flavor profile that comes through in the tasting session leans consistently into warm dessert — the cinnamon that Roger keeps returning to is apple pie cinnamon, not spice-forward rye-style heat. The amburana contribution is something neither host has to explain in technical terms because the glass explains it: this sips like a very good craft cocktail that happens to be a bourbon. The Cooper Series conversation gives context for where Rio sits: Penelope is building a brand around the question of what different cask types do to the same base spirit. Havana, Riviera, Valencia — each answer that question differently. Rio gives you Brazil. And the Rosé cask finish, which Crystal calls 'exquisite,' gives you a whole other direction. The comparison episode between Rio and Rosé that Crystal suggests mid-episode sounds worth making happen.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the Cooper Series from Penelope Bourbon? It is a collection of finished bourbons from Penelope, each using a different cask type or finishing approach. The series includes Havana, Riviera, Valencia, Takaji, Rio, and the Rosé cask finish. Each produces a distinctly different flavor profile from the same base.
• What does amburana wood add to whiskey? Amburana is a Brazilian hardwood with natural vanillin, coumarin, and cinnamon-toned compounds. It adds a warmer, spicier sweetness than American white oak and is associated with the flavor profile of cachaça and some South American spirits.
• Is Penelope Rio easy to find? No. It is limited and regularly out of stock. If you see it at retail, buy it. Secondary prices reflect its collectibility.
• How does Rio compare to the Rosé cask finish? Crystal has tried both; she describes the Rosé as 'exquisite' and the Rio as 'cocktail-like' in its layered profile. They serve different occasions — the Rosé leans fruity, the Rio leans warm and dessert-forward.

Episode at a Glance

• Spirit reviewed: Penelope Rio, Honey and Amburana Cask Finish
• Hosts: Crystal and Roger
• Runtime: approximately 17 minutes
• Category: Bourbon
• Series: Penelope Cooper Series