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Penelope Architect vs Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish
Penelope Architect and Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a blender-built, classically built bottling versus a sourced, classically built blend.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Penelope Architect | Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Four-Grain Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 7% rye, 15% wheat, 3% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 104 proof (52% ABV) +13 proof | 91.4 proof (45.7% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$60 – $70 ~$45 less | ~$90 – $130 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Limited |
- Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Penelope Architect
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Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish
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Flavor Profile
Penelope Architect Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 5/8 oak: Penelope Architect 5 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 8 out of 10
spice 6/4 spice: Penelope Architect 6 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 4 out of 10
heat 6/4 heat: Penelope Architect 6 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 4 out of 10
sweetness 7/8 sweetness: Penelope Architect 7 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 8 out of 10
fruit 6/5 fruit: Penelope Architect 6 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/4 nuttiness: Penelope Architect 3 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating 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.
- Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish: The standard Michter's bourbon given a second toasted barrel, which adds sweetness and wood to an already polished pour. Genuinely good, though the price has drifted well past what the liquid alone justifies.
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 at a significantly lower price point.
- Go with Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish if you want the smoothest, most polished toasted-barrel pour here and price is not the deciding factor.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (Penelope Architect); neat (Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish).