Maker's Mark Private Selection Rufus Reserve

A Maker's Mark private selection for Amazon stores? What an unexpected and interesting find! Labeled as "Rufus Reserve" this limited bottling ( Labeled #004/246 ) reminds me a lot of another limited bottling " Honeysuckle Breeze". The nose is less sweet and indulgent than Honeysuckle Breeze. Caramel with a bit of astringency. Unlike some other cask strength Maker's selections, this one smells its proof. The nose tapers off into a bit of something darker and sweet like dark baker's chocolate. The front of the taste is a bit muted, delayed but then it explodes into yeasty sweet rolls. That taste blossoms out into ripe honeydew melons. The finish picks up that dark chocolate that was on the nose with bitterness combined with a slightly chalky mouth feel. The bitterness stays and as the finish closes out; brings with it something slightly musty like leather. These Private Selection bottlings are always fun but I feel like they're never as good as Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series. Still, for a reasonable price tag for something that appears to be rather rare, it is a fun sipper that brings with it complexity that regular Maker's Mark cannot compete with.