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Penelope Rio vs Russell’s Reserve 15 Year
Penelope Rio and Russell’s Reserve 15 Year sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a blender-built, classically built bottling versus an undiluted barrel-strength pour.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Penelope Rio | Russell’s Reserve 15 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Four-Grain Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon, Barrel Proof |
| Mash Bill 1 | 74% corn, 7% rye, 16% wheat, 3% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 15 years |
| Proof | 98 proof (49% ABV) | 117.2 proof (58.6% ABV) +19 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$80 – $100 ~$235 less | ~$250 – $400 |
| Availability | Limited easier to find | Allocated |
- Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 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.
Russell’s Reserve 15 Year
One of my favorites.
Flavor Profile
Penelope Rio Russell’s Reserve 15 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 4/9 oak: Penelope Rio 4 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 9 out of 10
sweetness 9/7 sweetness: Penelope Rio 9 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 7 out of 10
heat 5/7 heat: Penelope Rio 5 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 7 out of 10
spice 6/6 spice: Penelope Rio 6 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 6 out of 10
fruit 6/6 fruit: Penelope Rio 6 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 6 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Penelope Rio 3 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- 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.
- Russell’s Reserve 15 Year: The oldest regular Russell's Reserve, at barrel proof. Fifteen years in Camp Nelson rickhouses push it toward old oak, leather and dried fruit over the usual Turkey spice.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Penelope Rio if you want a honey-and-amburana-finished bourbon that tastes like a cinnamon roll at a significantly lower price point and without hunting for it.
- Go with Russell’s Reserve 15 Year if you want a very old, oak-heavy Wild Turkey for slow sipping with more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (Penelope Rio); neat (Russell’s Reserve 15 Year).