Black cherry | Orange rind | Toffee | Tobacco | Bubble gum

Butterscotch | Vanilla bean | Seasoned oak | Green tea | Graham cracker

Rye spice | Barrel char | Minty pine | Cinnamon spice | Seared orange & lemon peel

The Penelope Estate Collection was introduced in October 2024 as a way for Penelope to showcase their parent company’s higher-age, higher-quality whiskey stock. The Estate Collection has largely focused on bourbon, with releases featuring different high age statements in small batch and single barrel releases. Conundrum marks the collection’s second highest age statement so far and the highest aged rye released by Penelope.

We’ve seen a surprising number of high aged ryes in 2026 – many of which were sourced from Sempreon (formerly MGP) – but very few fell into the 12 year range. In 2024, Bulleit released an MGP-sourced 12 Year rye at 92 proof at a shockingly low $55 price point. Conundrum thankfully ups the proof just enough to give its sip a bit more backbone, though, as expected, that comes at an increase in price comparatively.

Every part of Conundrum’s sip showcases its age, yet it never enters into over-oaked territory. Its aroma opens with black cherry and orange rind, then transitions into a unique range of toffee, tobacco, and bubble gum. Likewise, the palate and finish offer a mix of deep, heavy notes alongside brighter ones. Butterscotch, vanilla bean, and seasoned oak are offset by green tea and graham cracker on the palate, and rye spice, cinnamon spice, and barrel char are offset by minty pine and orange and citrus notes on the finish.

Where many recent rye releases have featured a cask strength proof point, Conundrum finds a very approachable middle ground. It has just enough proof to showcase its spicy notes, but it stays low enough to convey its overall elegance. Though it lacks a wider range of fruit notes that might have elevated this beautiful sipping rye even further, what it does offer deserves to be honored. Rye lovers will love what Conundrum brings to the table, as it threads the fine line between flavor intensity, elegance, and age without leaning in any direction that would offset its delicate balance.