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Booker’s vs Penelope Barrel Strength 7 Year
Booker’s and Penelope Barrel Strength 7 Year are cut from similar cloth: two takes on high-rye bourbons, where the real difference is price (~$85 – $110 vs. ~$60 – $65).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Booker’s | Penelope Barrel Strength 7 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon, Barrel Proof | High-Rye Bourbon, Barrel Proof |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 70% corn, 25% rye, 5% malted barley |
| Age | 7 years | 7 years |
| Proof | 125 proof (62.5% ABV) +10 proof | 115.2 proof (57.6% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$85 – $110 | ~$60 – $65 ~$35 less |
| Availability | Limited | Widely available easier to find |
- Booker’s does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Booker’s
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Penelope Barrel Strength 7 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Booker’s Penelope Barrel Strength 7 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
nuttiness 8/3 nuttiness: Booker’s 8 out of 10, Penelope Barrel Strength 7 Year 3 out of 10
heat 10/8 heat: Booker’s 10 out of 10, Penelope Barrel Strength 7 Year 8 out of 10
oak 8/7 oak: Booker’s 8 out of 10, Penelope Barrel Strength 7 Year 7 out of 10
fruit 4/5 fruit: Booker’s 4 out of 10, Penelope Barrel Strength 7 Year 5 out of 10
sweetness 7/7 sweetness: Booker’s 7 out of 10, Penelope Barrel Strength 7 Year 7 out of 10
spice 7/7 spice: Booker’s 7 out of 10, Penelope Barrel Strength 7 Year 7 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The house grain character is what splits these.
- Booker’s: Uncut, unfiltered Beam at batch strength, and the most concentrated expression of the house peanut-and-oak character. Enormous and hot, with a finish that goes on well past where you expect it to stop.
- Penelope Barrel Strength 7 Year: Penelope's uncut flagship, now with a seven-year age statement. It is richer and spicier than the Four Grain, with caramel and rye spice carried by a lot of proof.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Booker’s if you want the Beam house style at full power and you have water on the table with slightly more proof behind it.
- Go with Penelope Barrel Strength 7 Year if you want a well-priced, seven-year, uncut blend with real depth and spice without hunting for it.
Best enjoyed neat (Booker’s); neat, old-fashioned (Penelope Barrel Strength 7 Year).