Tastes

Barely drinkable trash that should only be used as a mixer. I expect better from Japanese whisky.

Stupid-good. Loads of caramel up front, with prominent notes of cinnamon and allspice. Thick body with a nice, understated brininess. I don't quite get the peanut aspect others report. Finish is deceptively smooth for 125 proof. Buy it and hoard it.

Overrated, especially if your local stores are upcharging given McKenna's increased popularity. Mine sure was. Decent peppercorn and maple aromatics. The first sip is heavy spice and cedar without much sweetness to balance it out. Similar to rye without the dill. Ethanol burn lingers. I wouldn't pay more than $35 for this.

I avoided Maker's Mark for years. I found their flagship bourbon cloyingly sweet with a weird plastic-y aftertaste. My local store had a promotion on Private Select this week. I bit, but I didn't expect much. I was wrong. This is an incredibly well-balanced bourbon. Still puts sweetness forward but it's a three-dimensional Scotch-like sweetness with an undertone of ethanol burn. Finish is oak and tobacco with a backend of vanilla and dried fruit, all with just the right amount of heat. Will definitely return to this one. Staves were 2 baked American Pure 2, 1 seared French cuvee, 1 Maker's 46, 4 roasted French mocha, and 2 toasted French spice. 110.8 proof.