Maker's Mark Bourbon Cask Strength

MAKER’S MARK WOOD-FINISHING SERIES SHOWDOWN Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Maker’s 46 French Oaked Cask Strength Maker’s Mark BRT-02 Limited Release Maker’s Mark The Heart Release 2024 Maker’s Mark The Keeper’s Release 2025 Maker’s Mark Private Selection Unique Stave Selection 086/246 (TL;DR: The BRT-02 wins in a landslide). This review began as a critique of three Maker’s Mark Finishing Series bourbons: The Heart Release 2024, The Keeper’s Release 2025, and a Private Selection Unique Stave Selection. Then I realized that I needed a baseline, so I pulled a bottle of Maker’s 46 French Oaked Cask Strength (everything’s about context). That led to the need to baseline the MM46, so I grabbed a Maker’s Mark Cask Strength. Finally, I realized I had a (unopened) BRT-02 in inventory and decided to toss it into the mix. So we’ll begin with the baselines: first the normal MM Cask Strength, then the MM46 Cask Strength, and those followed by the others in chronological order. I tasted these bourbons over the course of several days. I’m a fan of Maker’s Mark and their Wood-Finishing Series, which began with Maker’s 46 back in the day. All whiskies—bourbon, Scotch, Irish, Japanese—have experimented with special releases with varying success, typically focused on barrels having contained another wine or spirit. So when Maker’s developed the 46 project further, I was more than happy to test things out (all in the name of science). Maker’s Mark Cask Strength While I’ve always had a bottle of Maker’s around the house, and have been a big fan of Maker’s 46 since it first came out, I’ve never been a Maker’s Mark Cask Strength afficionado (and I prefer high-proof bourbon). My not-quite-dislike never made sense to me, as I’ve always viewed Barrel Proof and Cask Strength whiskies as purer expressions of their lower-proof brethren. MM Cask Strength had a taste that I never could quite put my finger on—there was a musty element. And with this tasting, I think I’ve figured it, right under my nose. It’s the wood—but it tastes like old wood. Bourbon by definition has to be aged in charred new American oak, so “by law” it shouldn’t be old. But this wood doesn’t impart the rich vanilla and other flavors that new oak typically provides—and which is the entire ethos behind Maker’s Wood Finishing series. In comparison to the other five bourbons here, the Cask Strength comes across as flat; the wood just isn’t doing much. Maker’s Mark Cask Strength can be found for around $45. Would I buy it again? Yes, just to have on-hand, but primarily for cocktails because of the high ABV. 3.75 on the Distiller scale. Batch No. 21-02. 55.2% ABV. Maker’s Mark 46 French Oaked Cask Strength Much richer and deeper than the regular Cask Strength. Also richer and more powerful than the Heart, Keeper’s, and Private Selection; in comparison, these seem a bit more delicate in comparison. The MM46 is a touch more monolithic than the others, but the depth and richness wins out. Consistent with prior note (10/12/23). Hot chocolate, cocoa, dried apricot, cola, vanilla, and yes, a smidgen of dill. Lots of oak. Cinnamon apples and clove on the palate. Medium-length finish with lots of oak characteristics. Maker’s Mark 46 French Oaked Cask Strength can be bought for around $60. Would I buy it again? Yes. 4.0 on the Distiller scale. Batch 24-01. 55.3% ABV. Maker’s Mark BRT-02 Limited Release (2022) Elegance and power. Sweet and fruity: cocoa, espresso, dates, caramel apple, smoked BBQ, oak, vanilla. The smoothest of the bunch—by far—despite there being a range of only 2.8 percentages points of proof amongst these six bourbons. Finishes very long with chocolate fudge and maple candy. BRT-02 can still be found for around $140 online (I had no idea). This is a fantastic bourbon. Would I buy it again? It’s not cheap, but it’s a good value. Yes. 4.5+ on the Distiller scale. Stave Profile: 10 virgin toasted French Oak staves. 54.7% ABV. Maker’s Mark The Heart Release 2004 I’m surprised that I haven’t reviewed this bourbon before, as this pour was the bottle’s last. The label says “Caramel, Chocolate, Maple.” In reality, this practice—employed by numerous distillers—is more aptly referred to as “leading the witness.” Caramel is a common bourbon descriptor; chocolate in various guises is also commonplace. Maple, a bit less so. I don’t really get maple here. Chocolate-covered cherries? Yes, and maybe some cocoa. Pipe tobacco? New saddle leather? Yes and yes. And spearmint. The palate is not particularly viscous. Cinnamon red hots and clove on the finish, with wood tannins and cooling licorice. The alcohol is noticeable, and a bit out of balance; I’ve had higher-proofed whiskies that were better integrated. The Heart Release was launched at $75 retail, and can still be found online for just over that. While it’s true that many whiskies have more cachet, and perhaps better marketing, the market’s Invisible Hand is telling you something here. I’ve got whiskies that have appreciated 10x since purchasing them. I’ve never bought a whisk(e)y as an investment—I drink them—but scarcity is a significant driver of price, and apparently there’s plenty of these still around. Either A) Maker’s produced way too much; B) connoisseurs weren’t particularly enamored (this price point is aimed at enthusiasts; it’s not a mixer); or C) all of the above. I enjoyed this bourbon, and have no regrets purchasing it, but it’s not particularly noteworthy, unlike the earlier FAE and BEP releases. It is more fruity (and maybe more complex) than the Maker’s 46 Cask Strength when tasted side-by-side. Would I buy it again? Maybe, just to have it around to compare to others. 4.0 on the Distiller scale. Stave Profile: 10 virgin toasted French oak staves. Volume 1 of 5. Bottled June 2024. 56.0% ABV. Maker’s Mark The Keeper’s Release 2005 The bottle says: “Bold, Oak, Toasted Sweetness.” The bourbon drinker asks: “And?” An F on originality. But not quite “move along, nothing to see here;” we still have to drink it. Because science. I get a prominent cherry cordial note on the nose, along with sawdust (not necessarily in a bad way), cocoa, mocha (coffee’s lovechild, but not coffee solo), apple? spearmint, and (surprise!) oak. Neither particularly oily nor viscous on the palate. A raft of oaky tannins commingled with alcohol. A cooling spearmint and licorice note throughout, with bittersweet chocolate, vanilla, and espresso on the finish, with a peach note coming in very, very late. Is it “Bold?” I hope so. This ain’t 80-proof Beam on the rocks. This is bourbon in above-bottled-in-bond territory. Also neat. Is it “Oak?” Yes, bourbon by definition must be aged in new, charred oak barrels. Same goes for “Toasted Sweetness.” The oak is toasted (charred), and the oak is the source of the various “sweet” descriptors. Forget what I said: the market has spoken. The Keeper’s Release can still be found for around its release price of $75. Would I buy it again? Perhaps, for the same reason as the 2024 Heart Release—to continue to explore the different Maker’s expressions. I prefer this slightly about the Heart Release, but it's’ not too differentiated. 4.0+ on the Distiller scale. Stave Profile: 10 virgin toasted American oak staves. Release 2 of 5. Bottled February 2025. 54.6% ABV. Maker’s Mark Unique Stave Selection 086/246 Most woodsy (not quite woody per se) of the three. Marzipan, cocoa, peaches—sweeter than the others. More viscosity than the Heart or Keeper’s. Vanilla, chocolate fudge, and licorice on the finish. All of these Unique Stave Selections are unique. But variants, including this one, can be found for around $85. Would I buy it again? I’d return to the store where I purchased this particular expression for another bottle. 4.25 on the Distiller scale. Stave Profile: Baked American Pure (0); seared French cuvée (3); Maker’s Mark 46 (1); roasted French mendiant (5); toasted French spice (1). No. 086/246. 55.35% ABV. I tasted these bourbons over the course of several days, in small amounts. Each feel a bit clunky vs the elegant and complex BRT-02. The 46 is the most bold; the Unique Stave Selection the most sweet. 1. BRT-02 Limited Release 2. Private Selection Unique Stave Selection 086/246 3. Marker’s 46 French Oaked Cask Strength 4. The Heart Release 2024 5. The Keeper’s Release 2025 6. Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Six Glencairns of bourbon side by side is always instructive. It would be difficult to dissect these bourbons individually (and all six together presents its own set of difficulties). These recent special releases are not at the level of Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged series, which are noteworthy. Nor are they of the same caliber as their FAE and BRT predecessors in the early 2020s. And while I’m skeptical of private barrel selections from any retailer—does anyone really think that a distiller is going to let a retailer have access to its best barrels, rather than keeping them themselves?—in this particular case, the private selection tasted here was in many respects superior to the other more prominent releases. And then there’s the Maker’s 46 French Oaked Cask Strength itself. This expression can be found for only $10-15 less than the special releases. It’s the best value of the bunch.

BUDGET HAZMAT SHOWDOWN Benchmark Full Proof Old Grand-Dad 114 Maker’s Mark Cask Strength I’ve always loved high-proof, barrel-strength “hazmat” bourbon. As I’ve written in other reviews, there’s a certain purity in drinking these, as they are bottled without dilution and essentially unadulterated straight from the barrel. I decided to pull three relatively inexpensive bottles from my collection to see which would be crowned Champion of Budget Hazmat Bourbon. While none of these approach the proof of many higher-end bourbons (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof and Booker’s are frequently 130 or higher, as are highly allocated bottles such as William Larue Weller), they are also far less expensive. The comparisons aren’t perfect, but a little empirical analysis is a good thing. Benchmark Full Proof (125 proof; $25) The Benchmark Full Proof (BFP), a Buffalo Trace product, shows a clear and classic mahogany color, essentially identical to the other two. The nose is sweet, with chocolate-covered cherries, vanilla, cigar box, pipe tobacco, and the expected ethanol; there’s no need to bury your nose in the glass and inhale deeply, unless you’re a nasal masochist. After tasting the other two, I get a cotton candy aromas as well. On the palate, there’s a light glycerin mouthfeel, and again, the expected ethanol. The finish is medium in length, and very smooth, with absolutely no tannic bitterness. It carries no age statement. 4.0 on the Distiller scale. Old Grand-Dad 114 (114 proof; $30) Old Grand-Dad 114 (OGD), a Jim Beam product, shows the same classic color as the BFP. The nose is quite different, with saddle leather, dried oranges, demerara sugar, a dusty element, and a subtle minty coolness, which likely stems from the high-rye mashbill (63% corn, 27% rye, 10% barley). Surprisingly, the alcohol comes across as strong or even stronger than the BFP, despite being 11 proof points lower. There’s more oakiness on the palate as well. The medium finish shows some rye spice, and like the BFP shows no bitterness. On the whole, it is not as sweet as the BFP. It too has no age statement. 3.75 on the Distiller scale. Maker’s Mark Cask Strength (110.4 proof; $40) Maker’s Mark Cask Strength (MMCS) is of course a Maker’s Mark product, and is nearly identical in color to the the BFP and OBD. This particular bottle is the lowest proof of the three at 110.4; the company notes that the proof can vary from 108 to 114. The nose is between the BFP and OGD in terms of intensity, and offers caramel, Cocoa Puffs cereal, and brown sugar. The palate is warm and noticeably lighter than the other two, as might be expected by the lower proof, and has a pleasant rosin note. There is noticeable woody vanilla on the finish, more prominent than the BFP and OGD. It too is an NAS bourbon. 4.0 on the Distiller scale. Each of these are pleasant sippers on their own, and their high proofs would lend themselves well to a Manhattan or Old Fashioned (I’ve done both with the BFP and OGD). On the whole, the BFP is smoother and richer; the OGD a bit more rugged; and the MMCS more sophisticated. Each lack the complexity and intensity that I find in Elijah Craig Barrel Proof or Booker’s; but both of those are more than double the price. I’ve always been a fan of OGD, and have referred to it as the best bang-for-the-buck on a proof basis. But next to the others, I’d push it to third place. The BFP and MMCS are both very good and somewhat different, but I’d give a slight edge to the BHP. N.B. All spirits tasted neat in Glencairn glasses.

MAKER’S MARK CASK STRENGTH SHOWDOWN Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Maker’s Mark 46 Cask Strength As I’ve noted elsewhere, I’m a big fan of what Maker’s Mark has done with their wood-finishing series, which all started with Maker’s 46. Maker’s 46 Cask Strength is a relatively new product, first offered nationally in 2020. Maker’s 46 is far better than the base Maker’s Mark offering; let’s see if that holds true with the cask strength of each. These two are just 0.1 apart in terms of proof points; the most significant difference is the additional wood staves that are used in the Maker’s 46. Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Color is a clear and bourbon-like Pantone 152. There’s noticeable ethanol on the nose, which shows tangerine, sawdust, bananas foster, cocoa powder, rosin, a mild guava, and cinnamon. The alcohol comes through strongly on the palate as well, and shows lots of oak and vanilla, with more on the finish, along with a little woody tannic bitterness. There’s a lot of wood here. As I sip and wait, and then go back and forth between this and the 46CS, there is an oscillation between a nice complexity and a whole lotta wood. Maker’s philosophy has always been to bottle to taste rather than age: perhaps there’s a focus on normal MM that detracts from its cask-strength counterpart. There is so much to like, if only the wood was toned down a bit. Maker’s Mark Cask Strength retails for about $40. Would I buy it again? Yes. 3.75 on the Distiller scale. 110.4 proof. NAS. Batch no. 21-02. Maker’s Mark 46 Cask Strength Color is virtually identical to the regular MM Cask Strength at Pantone 152. Different nose; warmer, sweeter, and more mellow than the normal cask strength, with hot chocolate, coffee, caramel, dried apricot, a touch of dill, and vanilla, in addition to a whiff of char. While the alcohol is not as prevalent on the nose as it is with the MMCS—despite the nearly identical proof—it becomes noticeable on the finish, along with oak and gobs of vanilla. There’s a lot to like here, but like the normal MMCS, there’s a lot of wood to chop. Maker’s Mark 46 Cask Strength can be found for around $65, which is more expensive than Maker’s normal cask strength offering. Would I but it again? (Actually, this bottle was a gift). Yes. On a proof basis alone, the price represents good value in today’s market, and on top of that, it’s good—better than the normal cask strength offering. A little less wood would push this easily into the 4.0 range; I’d like to try other releases to see if that’s the case. 3.75 on the Distiller scale. 110.3 proof. NAS. Batch no. 23-01. There are many possible “showdown” combinations, with commonality found between producers, types, styles, and proofs. What I’d like to do now is try the regular 46 (I have an old-style bottle) side-by-side with this 46 Cask Strength. From memory, I like the regular 46 better; but I’ll have to test that hypothesis in another review. N.B.: All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

Overall: This is a good drink. The 110 proof was not overwhelming, but added a little more spice as expected. There was a bit of disappointment as I worked through the glass though - the flavor never changed and presented that depth that I search for in bourbons. The flavor that it did present was sweet and enjoyable, but kinda like a friend who never goes out on a limb to make a good joke, or bring a conversation forward, it became predictable and boring. (Batch 22-02) Nose: Maraschino cherries, a bit of woodiness, very little ethanol (I always let the glass breathe for 10 minutes) Palate: Honey, and cherries coalesce to a woody spice. On some sips the cherry can get quite medicinal, but the sweetness from the grains do a good job of rectifying this. Finish: A short to medium length characterized by sweet bakery notes, spice, and hints of pumpkin. The cherries that were there from the nose carry through the longest.

Aroma - sweet notes coming though here. Orange creamsicle, brown sugar, some sweet apples, very very light oak (so probably 4-5 years bourbon here) Overall quite nice on the nose. Not overly complex but it is inviting Taste - Still getting a nice orange creamsicle-like note, with caramel drizzle (more like the squeeze bottle stuff you use on ice cream). There’s an earthy/green profile here which is a bit perplexing since there is no rye in the mash bill and I’m also definitely getting some peppery/spice notes. Overall - Nose is very nice and a I prefer it over the taste. But the taste is definitely above average. Wheaters always seem to have a pillow-like softness on my palate and that is what I’m experiencing here. The finish is above average too. This is a good pour. Probably will make for an excellent Old Fashion and cannot wait to make you with this.

This is my second bottle and they are defiantly a bit different and not just proof. On the noise I get cherry, oak, green apple, and hint of ethanol. The palate opens with a sweet cherry cough syrup, and oak not much else. The mid palate is a little spicy for a wheater, also some proof shows through. The finish is syrupy and thick, with heavy cherry and oak notes. At the time of this tasting I had a slight head cold so I might not be getting all the tasting notes. Current bottle is a 21-8 proof 112.5 ABV 56.25%, packs a pretty good punch. I would encourage anyone that is into Bourbon to try this one, not like other makers products, and very affordable for a cask strength weather, enjoy.