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Booker’s vs Penelope Rio
Booker’s and Penelope Rio sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an uncut, rye-forward heavyweight versus a sourced, classically built blend.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Booker’s | Penelope Rio |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon, Barrel Proof | Four-Grain Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 74% corn, 7% rye, 16% wheat, 3% malted barley |
| Age | 7 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 125 proof (62.5% ABV) +27 proof | 98 proof (49% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$85 – $110 | ~$80 – $100 ~$8 less |
- 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 Rio
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Booker’s Penelope Rio
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
heat 10/5 heat: Booker’s 10 out of 10, Penelope Rio 5 out of 10
nuttiness 8/3 nuttiness: Booker’s 8 out of 10, Penelope Rio 3 out of 10
oak 8/4 oak: Booker’s 8 out of 10, Penelope Rio 4 out of 10
sweetness 7/9 sweetness: Booker’s 7 out of 10, Penelope Rio 9 out of 10
fruit 4/6 fruit: Booker’s 4 out of 10, Penelope Rio 6 out of 10
spice 7/6 spice: Booker’s 7 out of 10, Penelope Rio 6 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
These two land very differently on the palate for heat.
- 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 Rio: Penelope's four-grain blend finished in honey barrels and then amburana wood. It tastes like a cinnamon roll: honey, gingerbread and sweet baking spice.
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 significantly more proof behind it.
- Go with Penelope Rio if you want a honey-and-amburana-finished bourbon that tastes like a cinnamon roll at a slightly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat (Booker’s); neat, old-fashioned (Penelope Rio).