Maker's Mark 46 Kentucky Bourbon Whisky, 70cl

Product Information

When I first reviewed Maker’s 46, I stated that everything about it seems to be more refined than the standard Maker’s. A large part of this was the sophisticated looking bottle that broke away from the iconic square influence of Maker’s brand. With the new Maker’s Mark 46 bottle design being reined in and now sharing the same design as standard Maker’s, the bourbon stands out just a little bit less on the shelf from a purely aesthetic standpoint. Thankfully the bourbon inside remains exactly the same. Excerpt: I find none of the gritty, aluminum, aspartame notes from the standard 46 release, and this is a winner.

Maker’s Mark has been a household name in bourbon for decades. Starting in 1953 with the husband and wife duo of Bill Samuels Senior and Margie Samuels, this tasty brand has been delivering high-quality and consistent bourbon since its iteration. Maker’s Mark 46 is a newer addition to the Maker’s Mark family so it seems only fair to compare the two. While one is classic, tried, and true, the other is a more recent concoction and therefore open to more scruples than the original Maker’s Mark. I absolutely love how this smells. It’s rich and delicious with just a hint of sweetness on top. The first thing that comes to mind from the smell is a heavy helping of rich caramel and toffee, which is consistent with the original Maker’s Mark product, but the alcohol has been significantly mellowed out and there’s some additional fruit notes as well. I think I get some crisp and fruity green apple in there now, like a delicious caramel apple from the state fair.

Mixing an Old Fashioned with the Maker’s Mark

The bottle does not have that signature label from Margie’s creative mind. In fact, only the original Maker’s Mark utilizes that element of her design. Instead of the paper label, Maker’s Mark 46 is a clear bottle with the color of the Maker’s Mark label used as the color of the font.

It is bottled when the tasters agree that it is ready, roughly around 6 yo. The Maker’s Mark bourbon mash bill does not include rye. Instead of rye, Maker’s Mark uses red winter wheat (16%), along with corn (70%) and malted barley (14%). With its new bottle design, Maker’s Mark 46 gravitates to the brand's standards. Gone is the unique bottle design that stood tall, instead now sharing the same bottle that the standard Maker’s Mark uses. They also switched to a paper label prominently featuring a gold foiled "French Oaked" and "Bill's Recipe" while shrinking the 46. Additionally, it has gone from a corked bottle to a screw top; a perplexing move for sure. Whether or not the cask strength, private select, and wood finishing series bottles eventually gain a similar redesign has yet to be seen, but for now, Maker’s Mark 46 lost a little bit of its specialness that helped it stand out on shelves. Introduced in 2010, Maker’s Mark 46 was the first new variant produced by the distillery since it opened. It starts off life as a typical barrel of Makers Mark but then gets a little extra special sauce. Maker’s Mark 46 came out so well and has sold just as well, so the distillery began an annual wood-finishing series. This series highlights a new bourbon that is aged with different staves each year.Now we get to the distillation process! Maker’s Mark double-distills their bourbon in copper stills. Meanwhile, somewhere outdoors, their virgin American oak barrels are being aired out or “seasoned” for at least nine months to remove bitter-causing tannins that often happen in young wood. (Those bitter tannins can also make the whiskey bitter as it is aged.) Maker’s Mark is going to be creamy, smooth, and soft with hints of vanilla, oak, tobacco, and caramel. And of course, the bottle is sealed with that iconic red wax as well, the company does that with all their bottles, no matter the series. For over a half a century, Maker’s Mark did one thing and, darn it, they did it well. Then they introduced their 46 expression. Since the success of that line, they have continued to add other products added to their repertoire, but are any as good as the original?

The Maker’s Mark 46 process begins where the inspiration for the new bourbon also came from, Maker’s Mark. The Maker’s Mark original is fully matured at cask-strength, which means it hasn’t been diluted with water so it’s higher proof. Maker’s 46 Cask Strength is the barrel proof version of the standard Maker’s 46. Maker’s 46 starts off as standard Maker’s Mark, which is a wheated bourbon made in batches of less than 1,000 gallons. Answer: I would not add a cube to the Maker’s Mark, it doesn’t need to be cooled down or to open up. A cube will dilute the Maker’s Mark and make it watery. The Maker’s Mark 46 however, definitely does well with an ice cube. I added a small cube to mine and it cooled the burn of that lingering spice I described in the tasting note Final Thoughts on Maker’s Mark vs. Maker’s Mark 46I recommend an Old Fashioned with Maker’s Mark 46 as well. It’s really fascinating to taste the two side-by-side, especially when you consider these two bourbons have the same exact mash bill. They mix as differently as they sip neat! Comparable Whiskies to Maker’s Mark The finish of this bourbon is just as soft as the palate is and very smooth. There is no burn in this bourbon. When Bill Samuels Senior set out to make a soft bourbon, he certainly succeeded, in my opinion!

Excerpt: I feel that detail was missed when crafting this batch. It could make a reasonable mixer with its bold cinnamon notes and heat, but I would not recommend it as a daily or even special occasion sipper. On the nose, I get a lot of salty caramel notes. I’m also getting the smells of oak from the charred, virgin American barrels that this bourbon is aged in for at least three years. Rich and creamy. There are notes of oak, vanilla cinnamon, all perfectly balanced. The Maker's 46 has a big mouthfeel. It is smooth like creamed honey. After the second sip, butter toffee, toast and hints of pepper show up. Water softens the heat a bit, but it is easy enough to drink without water.The taste mostly delivers on that promise. It’s warm and delicious, and the caramel and vanilla flavors are front and center. I don’t particularly get the apple flavor from the nose, but there is some fruitiness in there that’s making things interesting. There’s also a significant bit of burn from the alcohol in here that slightly detracts from the enjoyment, but in general it’s pretty good. On Ice The water used for Maker’s Mark is filtered naturally through limestone in the distillery’s own personal watershed. The Roman numeral for four symbolizes Bill Samuels’ being the fourth-generation distiller of his family. (Fun fact: Bill Junior discovered at some point that his father was not the fourth-generation distiller he believed he was. The Maker’s 46 is creamier and more decadent with bolder cherry and toasted oak notes, more spices with added complexity and an oilier mouthfeel. The complexity continues on the finish. A fantastic glass of bourbon.