Maker's Mark 101

Sweet, honeyed, a little ethanol on the back end before mellowing caramel finish, very pleasant overall. Definitely some red fruits and chocolate in the middle as well... taste per dollar this one is punching above its weight.

Overall solid for the price point. My favorite MM is RC6 then PR5+SE4 then 46 cask then 46 and finally just plain MM. Given the silly bourbon prices these days, MM provides a good experience at a great price point.

Generally I find standard MM to be blah, but I really enjoy 46 and the stave specials. 101 if legend holds is the specific proof deemed perfect by the creator himself (or herself depending on the legend). Let's see how she drinks.... Nose is traditonal MM sweet wheat with a little peanut thrown in. Also a bit more ethanol than the stave finishes. First sip hits the vanilla and brown sugar notes. A nice round of sweetness on the front end. Next comes the heat with a definite alchol burn that I don't prefer and takes away from the overall dram. At the end I am pretty much just tasting the alcohol, but I do get a little touch of sweetness at the very end as the finish burns off. Overall this is better than standard MM, but only slightly. I feel this one still tastes like base MM which isn't a winner for me, but if you like the standard this may be a nice extra kick for you.