Maker's Mark Cask Strength

Honey, rich, little cinnamon heat

MAKER’S MARK CASK STRENGTH SHOWDOWN Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Maker’s Mark 46 Cask Strength As I’ve noted elsewhere, I’m a big fan of what Maker’s Mark has done with their wood-finishing series, which all started with Maker’s 46. Maker’s 46 Cask Strength is a relatively new product, first offered nationally in 2020. Maker’s 46 is far better than the base Maker’s Mark offering; let’s see if that holds true with the cask strength of each. These two are just 0.1 apart in terms of proof points; the most significant difference is the additional wood staves that are used in the Maker’s 46. Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Color is a clear and bourbon-like Pantone 152. There’s noticeable ethanol on the nose, which shows tangerine, sawdust, bananas foster, cocoa powder, rosin, a mild guava, and cinnamon. The alcohol comes through strongly on the palate as well, and shows lots of oak and vanilla, with more on the finish, along with a little woody tannic bitterness. There’s a lot of wood here. As I sip and wait, and then go back and forth between this and the 46CS, there is an oscillation between a nice complexity and a whole lotta wood. Maker’s philosophy has always been to bottle to taste rather than age: perhaps there’s a focus on normal MM that detracts from its cask-strength counterpart. There is so much to like, if only the wood was toned down a bit. Maker’s Mark Cask Strength retails for about $40. Would I buy it again? Yes. 3.75 on the Distiller scale. 110.4 proof. NAS. Batch no. 21-02. Maker’s Mark 46 Cask Strength Color is virtually identical to the regular MM Cask Strength at Pantone 152. Different nose; warmer, sweeter, and more mellow than the normal cask strength, with hot chocolate, coffee, caramel, dried apricot, a touch of dill, and vanilla, in addition to a whiff of char. While the alcohol is not as prevalent on the nose as it is with the MMCS—despite the nearly identical proof—it becomes noticeable on the finish, along with oak and gobs of vanilla. There’s a lot to like here, but like the normal MMCS, there’s a lot of wood to chop. Maker’s Mark 46 Cask Strength can be found for around $65, which is more expensive than Maker’s normal cask strength offering. Would I but it again? (Actually, this bottle was a gift). Yes. On a proof basis alone, the price represents good value in today’s market, and on top of that, it’s good—better than the normal cask strength offering. A little less wood would push this easily into the 4.0 range; I’d like to try other releases to see if that’s the case. 3.75 on the Distiller scale. 110.3 proof. NAS. Batch no. 23-01. There are many possible “showdown” combinations, with commonality found between producers, types, styles, and proofs. What I’d like to do now is try the regular 46 (I have an old-style bottle) side-by-side with this 46 Cask Strength. From memory, I like the regular 46 better; but I’ll have to test that hypothesis in another review. N.B.: All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

BUDGET HAZMAT SHOWDOWN Benchmark Full Proof Old Grand-Dad 114 Maker’s Mark Cask Strength I’ve always loved high-proof, barrel-strength “hazmat” bourbon. As I’ve written in other reviews, there’s a certain purity in drinking these, as they are bottled without dilution and essentially unadulterated straight from the barrel. I decided to pull three relatively inexpensive bottles from my collection to see which would be crowned Champion of Budget Hazmat Bourbon. While none of these approach the proof of many higher-end bourbons (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof and Booker’s are frequently 130 or higher, as are highly allocated bottles such as William Larue Weller), they are also far less expensive. The comparisons aren’t perfect, but a little empirical analysis is a good thing. Benchmark Full Proof (125 proof; $25) The Benchmark Full Proof (BFP), a Buffalo Trace product, shows a clear and classic mahogany color, essentially identical to the other two. The nose is sweet, with chocolate-covered cherries, vanilla, cigar box, pipe tobacco, and the expected ethanol; there’s no need to bury your nose in the glass and inhale deeply, unless you’re a nasal masochist. After tasting the other two, I get a cotton candy aromas as well. On the palate, there’s a light glycerin mouthfeel, and again, the expected ethanol. The finish is medium in length, and very smooth, with absolutely no tannic bitterness. It carries no age statement. 4.0 on the Distiller scale. Old Grand-Dad 114 (114 proof; $30) Old Grand-Dad 114 (OGD), a Jim Beam product, shows the same classic color as the BFP. The nose is quite different, with saddle leather, dried oranges, demerara sugar, a dusty element, and a subtle minty coolness, which likely stems from the high-rye mashbill (63% corn, 27% rye, 10% barley). Surprisingly, the alcohol comes across as strong or even stronger than the BFP, despite being 11 proof points lower. There’s more oakiness on the palate as well. The medium finish shows some rye spice, and like the BFP shows no bitterness. On the whole, it is not as sweet as the BFP. It too has no age statement. 3.75 on the Distiller scale. Maker’s Mark Cask Strength (110.4 proof; $40) Maker’s Mark Cask Strength (MMCS) is of course a Maker’s Mark product, and is nearly identical in color to the the BFP and OBD. This particular bottle is the lowest proof of the three at 110.4; the company notes that the proof can vary from 108 to 114. The nose is between the BFP and OGD in terms of intensity, and offers caramel, Cocoa Puffs cereal, and brown sugar. The palate is warm and noticeably lighter than the other two, as might be expected by the lower proof, and has a pleasant rosin note. There is noticeable woody vanilla on the finish, more prominent than the BFP and OGD. It too is an NAS bourbon. 4.0 on the Distiller scale. Each of these are pleasant sippers on their own, and their high proofs would lend themselves well to a Manhattan or Old Fashioned (I’ve done both with the BFP and OGD). On the whole, the BFP is smoother and richer; the OGD a bit more rugged; and the MMCS more sophisticated. Each lack the complexity and intensity that I find in Elijah Craig Barrel Proof or Booker’s; but both of those are more than double the price. I’ve always been a fan of OGD, and have referred to it as the best bang-for-the-buck on a proof basis. But next to the others, I’d push it to third place. The BFP and MMCS are both very good and somewhat different, but I’d give a slight edge to the BHP. N.B. All spirits tasted neat in Glencairn glasses.