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Rowan's Creek vs Penelope Rio
Rowan's Creek and Penelope Rio sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, classically built classic versus a sourced, classically built blend.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Rowan's Creek | Penelope Rio |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | Four-Grain Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | 74% corn, 7% rye, 16% wheat, 3% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 100.1 proof (50.0% ABV) +2 proof | 98 proof (49% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$40 – $50 ~$45 less | ~$80 – $100 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Limited |
- 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
Rowan's Creek
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Penelope Rio
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Rowan's Creek Penelope Rio
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
sweetness 6/9 sweetness: Rowan's Creek 6 out of 10, Penelope Rio 9 out of 10
fruit 4/6 fruit: Rowan's Creek 4 out of 10, Penelope Rio 6 out of 10
spice 7/6 spice: Rowan's Creek 7 out of 10, Penelope Rio 6 out of 10
nuttiness 2/3 nuttiness: Rowan's Creek 2 out of 10, Penelope Rio 3 out of 10
oak 4/4 oak: Rowan's Creek 4 out of 10, Penelope Rio 4 out of 10
heat 5/5 heat: Rowan's Creek 5 out of 10, Penelope Rio 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The clearest split is how sweet each one drinks.
- 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.
- 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 Rowan's Creek if you want an herbal, minty, rye-forward Willett bottling at a significantly lower price point and 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 (Rowan's Creek); neat, old-fashioned (Penelope Rio).