Penelope Classic Series Straight Bourbon

Penelope Classic Series Straight Bourbon is an American straight bourbon, and the "straight" designation tells you what to expect from the rules behind it. The whiskey is made from a mash bill that is at least 51 percent corn, aged in new charred oak, and bottled without added colorants or flavorings. Styles like this usually lead with caramel, vanilla and toasted oak from the charred barrel, with a rounded corn sweetness underneath and a little baking spice from the rye or wheat in the mash. The details supplied for this bottle don't list a proof, age statement or mash bill, so check the label for those before you plan around them. Neat is the best first pour. Give it a few minutes in the glass so the aromas open up, then taste it before changing anything. A Glencairn is the right glass for nosing. The tapered bowl gathers the oak, vanilla and spice, and a short sip will tell you how much sweetness and grain it carries. If it tastes hot or tight, add a few drops of room-temperature water. That loosens the alcohol and usually brings out the softer corn and caramel notes. For slow sipping, use a rocks glass with one large cube. A large cube melts slowly, so it chills the bourbon without watering it down fast. Several small cubes will dilute it quickly and flatten the oak. In cocktails, a straight bourbon in this style suits the Old Fashioned. Stir it with a sugar cube or about a quarter ounce of rich syrup, two dashes of Angostura bitters and an orange peel. The sweetness and oak in the whiskey match the sugar and bitters without needing much else. It also works in a Manhattan, stirred with sweet vermouth and a cherry. The bourbon's sweetness makes that version rounder than the rye-based one. For a Whiskey Sour, shake two ounces with three-quarters of an ounce each of lemon juice and simple syrup. Add egg white if you want a silkier texture and a foam top. For a longer drink, pour it over ice with ginger ale or soda and a lemon wedge. A bourbon highball keeps the vanilla and spice noticeable, and it takes little effort. At the table, bourbon like this goes with smoked or barbecued meats, aged cheddar, roasted nuts and dark chocolate. The char and sweetness in the whiskey echo the caramelized edges of grilled food, and the oak stands up to rich, fatty dishes.