Penelope Bourbon Project X #2032-1 PX Sherry 108proof - Selected by Breaking Bourbon

Proof: 108 proof

Finish: PX Sherry Jerez, Spain

Mash Bill: 75/15/7/3 Corn/Wheat/Rye/Malted Barley

Tasting Notes: The aroma is a cohesive blend of dried apricot and raspberry, with subtle notes of aged leather. Raspberry makes a soft landing on the palate, setting the base for additional flavors of black cherry, brown sugar, and stone fruits. Hints of tobacco and leather give way to more dried fruits in the finish, with cherry and raspberry being most prominent. A delicate white pepper spice lingers as the flavors trail off.

Bottle count: 136 bottles

About: Where Innovation Meets Tradition. At Project X, we’re rewriting the rules of bourbon blending, guided by Penelope’s Master Blender, Danny Polise, whose creativity and craftsmanship shape every batch. Here, we explore the boundaries of bourbon with bold, experimental blends designed from the ground up for unique cask finishes. Each blend isn’t just complemented by the cask; it’s crafted specifically to harmonize with it, resulting in a bourbon like nothing you’ve experienced before.

The Story: Penelope Project X is a study in finishing, featuring Oloroso Sherry, Cognac, PX Sherry, and an Oloroso/Cognac double finish. Penelope Bourbon Co-Founder, VP of Product, and Master Blender Danny Polise coordinated this wide range of finishes across a set of finishing barrels, utilizing the company’s four grain blend as the base bourbon. With the initial set ready, Penelope Bourbon held tastings at Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, Kentucky, in January 2025.

This Penelope Project X barrel pick was one of the first, selected at the company’s invitation-only launch event. We tasted through one barrel of each finishing type, covering all of the finishes and providing a range of how they were maturing. However, sitting with co-founders Danny and Mike led to trying a lot more barrels, and we ultimately sampled from 10 different barrels as we explored how the finishes were taking hold of the base bourbon. As it turns out, we kept circling back to the same barrel, which highlighted the Oloroso finish really well, so we decided to stick with that one. The result is a bourbon that has a solid foundation and showcases the Oloroso sherry finish to a satisfying result.