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Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style vs Penelope Rio
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style and Penelope Rio sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus a sourced, classically built blend.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style | Penelope Rio |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Four-Grain Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley | 74% corn, 7% rye, 16% wheat, 3% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 115 proof (57.5% ABV) +17 proof | 98 proof (49% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$55 – $70 ~$28 less | ~$80 – $100 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Limited |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Penelope Rio
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Penelope Rio
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 7/4 oak: Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 7 out of 10, Penelope Rio 4 out of 10
heat 7/5 heat: Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 7 out of 10, Penelope Rio 5 out of 10
sweetness 8/9 sweetness: Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 8 out of 10, Penelope Rio 9 out of 10
spice 7/6 spice: Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 7 out of 10, Penelope Rio 6 out of 10
fruit 5/6 fruit: Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 5 out of 10, Penelope Rio 6 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 3 out of 10, Penelope Rio 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style: Dense and syrupy for its age, with molasses and dark chocolate carrying a serious 115-proof punch. The high rye reads as baking spice rather than sharpness, and the body is unusually thick.
- 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 Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style if you want a rich, high-proof, dessert-leaning bourbon with real weight in the glass at a lower price point.
- Go with Penelope Rio if you want a honey-and-amburana-finished bourbon that tastes like a cinnamon roll.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style); neat, old-fashioned (Penelope Rio).