Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series 2019 RC6

I've long been a fan of the Maker's line. So when they decided to put out their first limited-edition release, naturally, I was interested. Even more so considering it's actually a reasonably-priced, a rarity for LER bourbon. It's a stave experiment, true to Maker's spirit. Let's see what if MM can make a splash with its foray into one-off bottlings. Nose: Huge cinnamon, oak, and leather right off the bat. Clove, nutmeg, and allspice. Quite spicy. Some caramel and milk chocolate. Toffee, red apple, cherry, banana, and a jammy/syrupy sweet note. Raisin and cranberry. Vanilla, brown sugar, and graham cracker. Coffee notes. Massive spice upfront, and with layers of heavy sweetness behind. Palate: Big spice up front once again. Cinnamon, oak, clove, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. Cherry, cranberry, raisin, fig, date, raspberry, and red apple. Caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, carrot cake. More of that jammy/syrupy note. Unripe banana, which I'm not loving. Dusty. Maintains some of the dessert sweetness from the nose, but not quite as much. Red fruit is turned up from 8 to 10, and the spice is still present. Finish: Red hot. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Caramel, vanilla, coffee. Milk chocolate, brown sugar, and graham cracker. At cask strength, it's no surprise that this is a mighty long finish. Solid effort. Good balance of dessert sweetness and spice and heat. Worthwhile purchase at $57. Is it really breaking ground? No. Would much prefer the Private Select, or even the 46 as a value. There are a few notes that seem off-putting with this one, but for the most part, it does work well together. This one has grown on me. Initially, I wasn't a fan, but I've got to say, there are some pretty unique note combinations at work here. Overall, I like what I'm getting. Definitely not the best Maker's Mark by any means, but if you're curious and are able to spot of these rare bottlings, you'd do well for yourself to grab one of these. 4/5.

My favorite so far.

New to Bourbons but is my early #1