Maker's Mark Cask Strength

Stronger in spice

Nose: mint, honey, chocolate-covered cherries, baking spices Palate: bright but rich, more mint and honey, sweet tea, baking spices Finish: mint still there, but additional toffee flavors. Some warmth. The mint is strong after the bottle has been opened a month or so. Interesting change. Not as top-shelf as original tasting (4.5 rating), but great nonetheless. Surprising.

Neat. Nose has much darker notes than traditional. Chocolate, herbs, and spices. Creamy feel, peppery in taste. Heat gives way to brighter notes. Vanilla and floral. Nice legs. I like it more than the regular bottle but also less than I hoped. I’d try a Private Select over this.

I have grown to be a lover of Cask Strength because of how surprisingly different it is from the standard whisk(e)y upon which it’s based. This is do different. This Maker’s Cask Strength has many flavors and nuances that isn’t there in the standard Maker’s. The nose and taste is more complex witch some added fruit and floral flavors. Furthermore, the flavors of wood and sweetness from the corn distillate are more harmonic than in the standard. But the floral notes in this makes this whisky extremely pretty. The “corn/moonshine” flavors in the standard are turned down in the Cask Strength, opening the flavors of flower pedals and sugared vanilla. I highly recommend this bourbon as it’s one of the best that Kentucky has to offer.