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Old Grand-Dad Bonded vs Penelope Rio
Old Grand-Dad Bonded 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 Grand-Dad Bonded | Penelope Rio |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Four-Grain Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 63% corn, 27% rye, 10% malted barley | 74% corn, 7% rye, 16% wheat, 3% malted barley |
| Age | 4 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) +2 proof | 98 proof (49% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$24 – $30 ~$63 less | ~$80 – $100 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Limited |
- Old Grand-Dad Bonded 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
Old Grand-Dad Bonded
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Penelope Rio
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Old Grand-Dad Bonded Penelope Rio
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
sweetness 5/9 sweetness: Old Grand-Dad Bonded 5 out of 10, Penelope Rio 9 out of 10
spice 8/6 spice: Old Grand-Dad Bonded 8 out of 10, Penelope Rio 6 out of 10
fruit 4/6 fruit: Old Grand-Dad Bonded 4 out of 10, Penelope Rio 6 out of 10
nuttiness 5/3 nuttiness: Old Grand-Dad Bonded 5 out of 10, Penelope Rio 3 out of 10
oak 5/4 oak: Old Grand-Dad Bonded 5 out of 10, Penelope Rio 4 out of 10
heat 6/5 heat: Old Grand-Dad Bonded 6 out of 10, Penelope Rio 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The clearest split is how sweet each one drinks.
- Old Grand-Dad Bonded: A bonded 100-proof high-rye bourbon for the price of a mixer, and one of the great bargains on the shelf. Cleaner and less overwhelming than the 114 while keeping the peppery rye backbone.
- 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 Grand-Dad Bonded if you want a bonded, high-rye workhorse at mixer money without hunting for it.
- Go with Penelope Rio if you want a honey-and-amburana-finished bourbon that tastes like a cinnamon roll.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned, cocktails (Old Grand-Dad Bonded); neat, old-fashioned (Penelope Rio).