Maker's Mark Private Select Bourbon

There have been several releases of the Makers Private Select hitting the Houston area recently, and I've been sampling a few of them. This is one was picked by Nasa Liquor. The stave selection is as follows: 2 x Baked American Pure2 3 x Seared French Cuvee 3 x Makers 46 1 x Roasted French Mocha 1 x Toasted French Spice 110.9 proof/55.45% ABV This was tasted neat in a Canadian glencairn Nose - Leads with creamy vanilla, apples, cherries, and graham crackers. More faintly I also get orange peels and varnished oak. The creamy fruit notes actually remind me of the 'V' recipes from Four Roses, but the graham cracker note makes this recognizable as wheated bourbon for me. Palate - Starts with rich butterscotch, vanilla, and cooked pastry dough. Also some of the same fruit notes from the nose, especially the apple. The sweetness lingers on the finish, where the baking spices finally start to show up. My only criticism is that I feel like there could be a little more spice; this one is all sweetness up front, with the baking spices arriving a little too late to keep things balanced. Overall I liked this one quite a bit. I definitely seem to have a preference for the selections that are heavier on the first 3 stave choices, with the French Mocha and French Spice used sparingly (the first Private Select I tried was a 0/0/2/4/4, and it was just too bitter and tannic).

The staves that Party Source in Newport Kentucky chose were excellent. They made for a smooth finish with a hint of spice

Tasting private select at distillery

Strong bitter peppery good burn