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Penelope Rio vs Rowan's Creek
Penelope Rio and Rowan's Creek sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a blender-built, classically built bottling versus an old-guard, classically built classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Penelope Rio | Rowan's Creek |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Four-Grain Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 74% corn, 7% rye, 16% wheat, 3% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 98 proof (49% ABV) | 100.1 proof (50.0% ABV) +2 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$80 – $100 | ~$40 – $50 ~$45 less |
| Availability | Limited | Widely available easier to find |
- Rowan's Creek 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 Rio
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Rowan's Creek
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Penelope Rio Rowan's Creek
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
sweetness 9/6 sweetness: Penelope Rio 9 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 6 out of 10
fruit 6/4 fruit: Penelope Rio 6 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 4 out of 10
spice 6/7 spice: Penelope Rio 6 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 7 out of 10
nuttiness 3/2 nuttiness: Penelope Rio 3 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 2 out of 10
oak 4/4 oak: Penelope Rio 4 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 4 out of 10
heat 5/5 heat: Penelope Rio 5 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The clearest split is how sweet each one drinks.
- 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.
- Rowan's Creek: A small-batch Willett bottling that tastes rye-forward and herbal. Honey and caramel sit under mint, hay and warm spice, with a peppermint lift on the finish.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Penelope Rio if you want a honey-and-amburana-finished bourbon that tastes like a cinnamon roll.
- Go with Rowan's Creek if you want an herbal, minty, rye-forward Willett bottling at a significantly lower price point and without hunting for it.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (Penelope Rio); neat, old-fashioned, cocktails (Rowan's Creek).