Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series 2020 SE4 x PR5

Very caramel and vanilla.

Another night, another blind tasting. Wish things were different but dram exchanges keep the spirits up and keep us all guessing. This one poured as a lighter amber color. Slower legs making me thing it should be awww but the nose is full of spice and oak. There is a good amount of caramel and cherries but no nuts and no bananas. At this point beam and OF are out and 4R and HH are at the top. It’s like an EC but much stronger nose - but oddly short of an ECBP if that makes sense. Medium body and hot on entry. Almost a bite-you, peppery hot (should have caught my attention as one distiller in particular is culprit of this) sensation as it covers the palate. Flavor is char forward with more oak, cherries and caramel in a supporting role. It has a bit of leather making me think HH once again but not complex enough to be an ECBP. No Turkey funk. The proof has to be 110-120, but no frank ethanol to be found. Could this be a barrel proof 4R pick? Nope. Possibly an Yellowstone 2019? Wrong again (complete shot in the dark as I never tried it). Makers. How is this Makers??? Much like the toasted barrel transformed EC into a BT mimic the stave finishing brought the wood and spice forward on this release in a way that reminds me of EC and 4R. While good, this is no Rc6. Not sure how I feel about this vs cask strength 46 but would say 46 is sweeter. I find the bite of their red wheat mashbill to be characteristic but the maple is fine and cinnamon is more pepper for this release. For those that think MM is too sweet this is a definite swing in the direction of the tannic/woodsy direction. EC and 4R fans should look this way.

Leather and spice on the nose, tastes of caramel that flow into a lingering of leather.