Maker's Mark Cask Strength

My third Maker's after the standard one and the 46, is this cask strength expression which didn't felt as high abv whisky at all, since i felt no alcohol note at all. Very clean and well crafted, this is an interesting bourbon. Bottled at 55.8%abv, lovely reddish color. On the nose, it has hints of a bourbon, but the notes are more complex and if we where making a blind tasting, you might guess it as an interesting single malt more than a Bourbon. Spicy, Prunes; a Barbecue note so strong; Red fruits, Oregano, Glazed pork and Marmalade. On the palate, it is strange and interesting. A little Spicy; tastes as a Bloody mary, Orange candy. Not strong at all. Aftertaste is where the "bourbonish" profile appear. Prunes, Bananas, Vanilla and Herbal notes. Also Cotton sugar. Overall, this is an interesting rollercoaster of flavors and aromas, but lacks to be tasty and pleasant. My score for it is 83 over 100. Cheers!

nose- vanilla icing, faint oak, brown sugar palate- vanilla heavy, sweet baked pastries, candied apple. carbonation. a bit dry before finish. Finish- long. more brown sugar and crisp apple. 4.00

Sweet. Long sweet finish. The high proof is pleasant and not too much burn

Very sweet as you would expect from Makers. The big difference here is a long sweet finish that is not dry or bitter. The alcohol is there but pleasant and not overpowering. Good stuff and worth the cost.

Caramel and vanilla and at one point I think vasoline on nose, leather and sweet spice on pallet, minimal burn that doesn’t last on the back.

This particular bottle came from a three-pack from Maker’s Mark called the Generations of Proof. Which also includes a Maker’s 46 Cask Strength as well as a Rob Samuels stave selection on a Private Select barrel. This Maker’s Cask Strength bottle is 108.8 proof. The nose is rich and full of old leather, cherries, old barn (in a good way), vanilla, caramel, a little cocoa and cooked dark fruit. Very nice. The palate is sweet and oily with more rich leather, cherries and dusty corn. The fruit is bumped up a little here and just a tad of that cocoa. Very rich and full. The finish is nice with just a little burn on the sides of the cheeks. You are left with some vanilla sweetness and corn for a long finish. There is some barrel char that pokes its head out as everything else starts to fade. Wow, this is very good! These also vary in proof from batch to batch, so expect some variances from bottle to bottle. And the best part is, you can find this anywhere! I knew I liked the regular Maker’s 46 and one bottle of a Private Select bottle I have, so I was happy to find it’s right up there. I can’t wait to try the Cask Strength of the Maker’s 46 and Rob Samuels’ Private Select next!

54.4%