Maker's Mark Private Select Bourbon

golden amber color, sweet aroma, with vanilla, taste is smooth with some spiciness, and a hint of heat on the finish. This is a barrel select from Bob's Liquor & Wine in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Very complex, so many flavors

Tasting the Montgomery County, MD private select. 1x Baked American Pure, 2x Seared French Cuvée, 1x Maker’s 46, 4x Roasted French Mocha, 2x Toasted French Spice. First pour from the bottle. Nose hits with dates, a hint of wood, and a lot of chocolate. Palate is dry oak at first, then a hint of sweet pitted fruit, followed by the chocolate from the nose. Finish is all chocolate—holy cow, I’ve never had so much chocolate from a bourbon before! Not very hot at all in the throat, but numbs the tongue nicely. This was a pleasant surprise—so different from the Virginia variety I tasted a month ago, you can really tell the effect of the different staves. I may have to get a second bottle of this!

Not as smooth as I prefer, but finishes much smoother than the other Makers bottles I’ve tried. The pinnacle of the Makers brand as far as I’ve tasted.

It’s pretty good but all Makers seem to have this astringent note that just puts me off. Even their finished versions