Cinnamon bun | Maple syrup | Molasses | Cinnamon churro | Honey Nut Cheerios cereal | Apricot

Baklava | Brown sugar | Maple syrup | Raisin | Sweet oak

Maple pecan shortbread | Honey bun | Maple cream cheese frosting | Molasses

Taking a page from the success Penelope had with the release of Rio, which paired honey and Amburana barrel finishing, last year, they introduced Havana. That inaugural release showed that pairing maple syrup and rum barrels proved to be another inspired decision, as the two flavors came together surprisingly well, forming an elegant, cohesive sip.

This year's Havana release is all about balance. Where last year’s batch 1 release featured well-integrated flavors, it also had a soft edge of spice that pushed back. The team at Penelope seems to have designed this year’s batch 2 release with the idea of rounding off its edges, resulting in a dual-finished bourbon that makes it near impossible to decipher where one finishing barrel ends and the next begins.  

The aroma begins with a sweet cinnamon bun upfront, followed by maple syrup and molasses. Cinnamon churro, Honey Nut Cheerios cereal, and apricot help round out the rest of the aroma. The palate features a sweet, doughy, nutty baklava note up front, with a touch of spiced honey. Brown sugar, maple syrup, raisin, and sweet oak round out the rest of the palate. The finish dishes up maple pecan shortbread, honey bun, maple cream cheese frosting, and a decent amount of lingering molasses aftertaste.

Producers who have been finishing with maple syrup barrels over the past year seem to take a similar approach: less is more. Where, not long ago, maple-finished bourbon was dominated by maple flavor, it is now much more tempered. That is true with Havana Batch 2. While the maple note is omnipresent, it’s so dialed in and well integrated with its rum note that it results in an incredibly smooth delivery. Though some may prefer more peaks and valleys in their whiskey, with the strong flavors Havana toys with, balance isn’t a bad thing. It’s quite an accomplishment, resulting in a finished bourbon that is a ton of fun.

The bourbon in review is from Batch 2.