Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series 2021 FAE-01

I'm certainly no master distiller, but when Maker's Mark began finishing bourbon with wood staves--by placing the same wood staves that coopers use to make barrels loosely into existing barrels of bourbon--I initially turned my nose up at the practice. It didn't seem "natural" to me. It seemed like the bourbon was somehow being adulterated. But my palate soon disabused myself of this thinking, as I loved Maker's 46. MM has continued this practice with its Private Selection series, which uses five different staves with 1,001 different combinations. More recently, MM has introduced its "Wood Finishing Series" with one offering in each of 2019 and 2020, and two in 2021: FAE-01 in the Spring, and FAE-02 in the Fall. I've tried (and loved) both the FAE-01 and -02; but as it's hard to find, I only own the FAE-01. The staves are French oak, with only one side charred, exposing the bourbon to both extra char and raw wood (seasoned, i.e. dried outside; not kilned) on either side of the stave. Clear, classic tawny burnt orange color. Nose shows dried apricot, brown sugar, vanilla, buttered pancakes, raw split oak, and some ethanol (110.6 proof). Palate has a viscous, glycerin-like mouthfeel, with walnuts and oaky vanilla, finishing with leather and (still more) oaky vanilla. The oak is noticeable, but in a good way. Surprisingly little heat for the 110.6 proof. MM FAE-01 was Whisky Advocate's #2 whisk(e)y of 2021, with a retail price of $60. Online prices currently range from $120-160. N.B. All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

Nose- vanilla pudding and oak abound. There is some darker berries in the background and perhaps currants. Palate- the texture is creamy/butter. There is a sweet corn on the cob taste on entry that quickly transitions to the vanilla pudding I get on the nose. I also get vanilla wafer and red fruit towards the end, all coated in gooey caramel sauce. This reminds me of bread pudding. It then transitions to a bit of cola-like finish. Plenty of wood to go along but in a nice down home way. Finish- Long and even with no bite, but enough backbone to let you know there is some alcohol here. It is oaky and sweet, then goes out on a bit of cherry cola. It makes me feel warm and content. Overall- This is a winner of a bourbon! The nose and texture are excellent. Traditional bourbon flavors amped up to 11 is what I get. Some may kick it in the butt for lacking complexity, but sometimes what is showcased is the ability to just let the bourbon do the talking in a traditional way. I think the stave selection adds much creaminess to the texture, and a bit of dryness on the way out vs. regular Maker's Mark at cask strength. Definitely recommend this one. It is one of the limited bottles that will not cost a secondary arm and leg if that is your only means to get it, but will outshine bottles you might pay triple for.

The 2019 and 2020 Maker’s Mark limited edition releases were solid; especially the latter. Here’s to hoping that MM could maintain that upward trajectory with this 55.15% beast. Let’s check out the 2021 incarnate. Nose: Cherry, vanilla, brown sugar, and caramel. Toffee and some coffee bean. Mocha and maple.Graham cracker, vanilla frosting, and toffee. Cinnamon red hots and some ethanol. Ginger spice. Oak. Palate: Caramel and vanilla. Cherry and milk chocolate. Mocha and maple. Toffee and coffee bean. Dried apricot. Blackberry. Leather. Banana. Ripe and unripe. Graham cracker. Gala apple, cranberry, and raisin. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Cherry, dried apricot, gala apple, cranberry, and raisin. Caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, graham cracker, toffee, and banana. Cinnamon (the spice and red hots), black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Long as they ‘em. It’s a winner. It takes the profile of the 2019 and melds it with the quality and power of the 2020. Overall, it’s on par with the latter in terms of score. Slight edge to the 2020. Speaking of which, this clocks in at 4.5/5. At $70, this is well worth the price of entry. Well done, MM.

Maker's Mark, one of the biggest Bourbon producers in the US, launched a Cask Strength expression called FAE-01, which was made by "Stave finishing"; that means they introduce an extra stave in the middle of th3 cask where the whiskey is maturing. This FAE-01 actually is made using the extra stave, slightly seared on one end, and raw on the other. Bottled at 55.3%abv (110.6 proof) with a lovely red color. On the nose, it starts witha lovely red fruit syrup note. Bubbaloo bubblegum; maraschino cherries and Marshmallows. Maple syrup. On the palate, it is an strawberry hard candy; cherry syrup. Maple. Delicious. Aftertaste is all about fruitiness and sour prunes. Cotton candy. Overall, this is one incredibly tasty bourbon; perhaps the fruitiest i have ever had. All the notes are very clean and delicious. I am super impressed by it, i did not expected it to be so good. Even if it is a little straightforward, the tasting and aroma references are uncanny. One of the finest bourbons that i can remember, my score for this beast is 96 over 100. Amazing.

* Nose - Strong ethanol that simply won’t get out of the way. As I move it around and nose it more, I get flowery fruit. Smells like a spring garden, but it’s very faint and the burn does really linger. Light hint of chocolate in there too. * Taste - Big burn on the entry, but getting a lot of complex flavor afterward. I’m tasting graham cracker, banana bread, oak, and apricot. * Finish - Very, very long finish. One of the longest I’ve had in a bourbon, honestly. The flavor lingers and changes subtly. The fruit actually sticks around longer than anything else for me. * Value: Limited edition bourbons are worth more than their weight in today’s market. This is very fairly priced for a unique, limited run dram from Maker’s. That said, I’m not sure this is my cup of tea for a bougier bourbon. I’d sooner seek out Rare Breed or WRDO. (MSRP $60)

I’ve had this bottle for quite some time and it’s been open for at least 4-5 months maybe longer. I cannot figure out all the high marks for this bottle. Is it good, yes. Is it bad, no definitely not. I find it to be just above average especially when comparing it to other Maker’s offerings. For example I have a cask strength I tried side by side and I think I prefer the CS which is damn near the same proof at 109.4. I find it to be in line with most other MM offerings. Maybe my next pickup will be a MM 46 CS since I haven’t had that one yet. Again I can’t recommend against this bottle but I wouldn’t seek it out either. 3/25/22