Maker's Mark Cask Strength Batch 23-05 (110.0 proof)

Greeted with a powerful yet gentle aroma that is spicy but sweet, I recall the balanced impression of the standard Maker’s Mark but with more depth and richness. The risk taken in producing a cask strength expression has indeed paid off. Initially fruity and floral, dried apples and cherries plus hibiscus tea sweetened with dark agave nectar. Some barrel char yields soft cinnamon and chocolate notes, with intermittent wafts of sour dill pickle as well as eucalyptus. Finally, dark corn/pancake syrup and vanilla come to the fore, with a bit of limoncello. Hot on the tongue, expected at barrel proof, but not terribly so. Sweet, but not cloyingly so. Caramelized fruits, especially apples and oranges, dance beside dried chili peppers and cinnamon. Medium bodied and soft, with a scramble of legs displayed within sheets resembling inverse pyramids that eventually disperse into scattered droplets. The medium finish is dry and mildly tannic. More dried orchard fruits, some citrus pith, plus a little lingering oak with just a hint of cocoa rounds things out. Aroma: 9 Taste: 8 Body: 7 Finish: 7