Penelope Marshmallow Toast

⚑ Placeholder review — tasting notes to be updated after the pour.

The Story

The name is not subtle, and neither is the concept. Penelope's Marshmallow Toast is the flagship expression of their Toasted Series — a 5-year straight bourbon that, after full maturation in charred new American oak, gets a second go in a new, hand-toasted barrel. Not charred. Toasted. The distinction matters: toasting develops different wood sugars and caramelization than the high-heat char process used in standard bourbon maturation, pulling out sweeter, softer, more confectionery notes from the wood rather than the char-forward smoke and vanilla you'd get otherwise.

At 110 proof, this has more horsepower than most of Penelope's lineup, and the extra heat opens up the sweeter barrel influence considerably. This one earned Gold at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, which is a reasonable early signal that the concept holds up. The toasted finish approach isn't new to the whiskey world, but doing it at this proof point with a wheat-forward mashbill is an interesting enough choice that it earns its own evaluation.

Nose, Palate & Finish

The Verdict