Maker's Mark 46 Kentucky Bourbon Whisky, 70cl

Product Information

Thirty-One Whiskey is a blog devoted to the appreciation of good whiskey, fine cigars, and the value of a hard day’s work in the wood shop. Hirsch Horizon Straight Bourbon is a high-rye content bourbon that’s similar to the Maker’s Mark 46. This bourbon is oaky, nuanced, and complex. I’d highly recommend the Hirsch for any bourbon or rye drinker. It also usually costs a few dollars less than the Maker’s Mark 46! According to the label on the Maker’s Mark bottle, Bill Samuels Senior wanted to create a bourbon that was soft, creamy, and full-bodied. The shape of the bottle is less squared than the Maker’s Mark original and taller. It’s more narrow at the bottom and expands slightly at the top, giving it a refreshing unique shape. The Maker’s Mark 46 bottle stands tall and is nothing short of regal.

Excerpt: All that said, the flavors are nice but don’t have the same depth and richness as the nose – a bit of a letdown. Excerpt: I find none of the gritty, aluminum, aspartame notes from the standard 46 release, and this is a winner. On the nose, this bourbon is what I call in my notes a “butter bomb”. The nose is creamy, but it’s followed by wood and hints of cigar tobacco. 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.) Samuels Senior achieved that goal by using red winter wheat in his mash bill rather than the popular choice of distiller’s rye. Rye can make the whiskey spicy and sharp, two things that Bill Samuels Senior was trying to avoid.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 Full of vanilla, followed by sweet cherries and fresh red fruit. Cinnamon and toasted oak. A few drops of water brings butterscotch and warming nutmeg. Delicious and very easy drinking.

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.

FAQs

Maker’s Mark Distillery has unveiled its new Maker’s Mark 46 bottle and design, created to highlight the brand’s values and better tell the story of its liquid. The palate is very smooth with more caramel and now vanilla. It is softer than the nose with a really nice roundness as far as texture goes. Maker’s Mark is written below the wax seal in medium font and even smaller in italics beneath it “Stave Profile No. 46” of course with the number ’46’ large and front and center of the bottle. Beneath the 46, in smaller font, are the specs of the whiskey. The distillery and its associated brand were sold in 1981 to Hiram Walker & Sons, starting a long line of acquisitions which eventually ended in their current position with Beam Suntory in 2011. The company is the third largest manufacturer of alcoholic beverages, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois (with the holding company located in Osaka, Japan). Product This is the epitome of what most people think of when they think of what a bourbon tastes like, which makes sense because bourbon is a trendsetter and has been since its creation. When we think of bourbon, we think of this nose, this taste on the palate, and this finish. Do other profiles exist?

One of the more recognizable bottles of bourbon on my shelf is the Maker’s Mark bourbon. With the bright red wax closure, you can spot this bottle at a distance. Today, I want to compare the Maker’s Mark vs Maker’s 46 bourbon whiskey to see how they differ.Sadly, the variety of Maker’s Mark bourbon available in South Africa is (currently) limited to these two releases only. So what is the difference between these two bottles? Let’s talk about the history of the distillery, which is intricately tied into the Maker’s Mark founding family: the Samuels, and what each of these two bourbons has to offer.