Penelope releases a lot of whiskey. Some bottles get our attention. Others are firmly in the “try before you buy” category. Architects of Golf immediately stood out because the concept is unlike anything else in the Penelope lineup, but a clever bottle only gets you so far.

Limited, distillery-only whiskey creates a problem for a review: we can tell you how good it is, but most people will never get the chance to buy it.

Some whiskeys ask to be judged against the rest of the category. Others create their own. Balcones Bottled in Bond Texas Rye belongs firmly in the second camp.

Castle & Key’s Experimental Limited Edition Rye feels like exactly what the name promises: an experiment. The good news is that it’s one that largely works.

Barrell Bourbon Cigar Blend is one of those bottles that sounds gimmicky until you actually sit down with it. The name makes you expect something smoky, over-oaked, and built purely for cigar lounges and leather chairs.

Augusta Distillery Small Batch Bourbon is exactly the kind of bottle that fills a gap you didn’t realize was missing. Known more for premium, higher-priced releases, Augusta steps into the mid-shelf space here with something more approachable and surprisingly complete.

Bardstown Bourbon Co. Cascadia Garryana Oak Barrel Finish is the kind of release that reminds you why Bardstown leans into experimentation.

Green River Full Proof Wheated takes a familiar profile and turns up the intensity. Bottled at 109.3 proof and priced around $50, it lands right in the middle shelf where value and flavor have to deliver.

To carry forward one of Old Forester’s most beloved releases, the 117 Series dives deeper into its 1910 story.

To make their mark in bourbon, Louisville-based Copper & Kings—best known for bold American brandies—released their first-ever bourbon finished in their own apple brandy barrels.

Discover Middle West’s new cask strength expressions. Scott dives into the Dark Pumpernickel Rye.

Discover Four Roses' new Single Barrel Collection. We dive into OESO. See how it ranks in our Artfully Bourbon rankings.

Discover the new Penelope Cooper Series Havanna Edition. We dive into this new bottle and see how it ranks in our Artfully Bourbon rankings.

Discover Four Roses' Single Barrel Collection. We dive into OESK. See how it ranks in our Artfully Bourbon rankings.

Artfully Bourbon reviews the Elijah Craig Toasted Rye.

Scott reviews Trader Joe's Kentucky Bourbon Straight Whiskey.