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Penelope Architect vs Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
Put Penelope Architect next to Maker’s Mark Cask Strength and you have a blender-built, corn-forward bottling set against an uncut, high-wheat heavyweight.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Penelope Architect | Maker’s Mark Cask Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Four-Grain Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon, Barrel Proof |
| Mash Bill | 75% corn, 7% rye, 15% wheat, 3% malted barley | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 104 proof (52% ABV) | 110 proof (55% ABV) +6 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$60 – $70 | ~$40 – $50 ~$20 less |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Penelope Architect
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Penelope Architect Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 6/3 spice: Penelope Architect 6 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 3 out of 10
sweetness 7/9 sweetness: Penelope Architect 7 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 9 out of 10
fruit 6/5 fruit: Penelope Architect 6 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 5 out of 10
heat 6/7 heat: Penelope Architect 6 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 7 out of 10
oak 5/5 oak: Penelope Architect 5 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Penelope Architect 3 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- Penelope Architect: Penelope's four-grain blend finished with French oak staves chosen for their tannin. The French oak adds berry, cherry and warm spice to a vanilla-heavy base.
- Maker’s Mark Cask Strength: Undiluted Maker's, and the version that finally gives the wheated recipe some weight. Dense caramel and honey with real warmth, and one of the more affordable cask-strength bottles anywhere.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Penelope Architect if you want a four-grain bourbon with a French oak finish that adds berries and warm spice.
- Go with Maker’s Mark Cask Strength if you want wheated sweetness at full strength for well under what most cask-strength bourbons cost.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (Penelope Architect); neat, rocks (Maker’s Mark Cask Strength).