Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series 2020 SE4 x PR5

MM Wood Finishing Series 2020 NOSE: Nice. Standard Maker's with added Cinnamon Discs Candy and Oak. Buttered Wheat Toast. Sweet Iced Tea. Buttercream White Icing. Corn Pops Cereal. After a bit the smell of a freshly opened bag of Brown Sugar starts to dominate. The empty glass is Peach Cobbler. NEAT: Very Sweet upfront. Soft Buttery Mouthfeel. Vanilla, Brown Sugar, and Honey Butter. Mid-Palate is Drying Slightly Musty Oak. There is a hit of Tannins on the finish with a building KY Hug thanks to the 112 Proof. Sweet Oak and Brown Sugar layer and coat the palate with each sip. SPLASH: A little water accentuates the Cinnamon Discs on the nose. The palate gains some Butterscotch and loses some of the Tannic Bite. TWTWIRBM makes an apple cobbler in an iron skillet and that is what this reminds me of. The finish becomes very reminiscent of MM46. VERDICT: Solid. Much better than the only Private Select I've had. Last year's RC6 came and went in NC so fast that I missed it. When I saw this year's I didn't hesitate to pick it up. If you can find it for the MSRP of $60 like I did, grab it.

Nose: very great nose. Creamy and vanilla. Some spices in there too. Palate: huge vanilla flavor up front. Some spices come through and the wheat is heavy here. Finish: heavy caramel on the end but falls flat quickly as well. Overall: not bad, similar to many private picks I’ve tasted. Definitely not worthy of a “limited release” especially after last years amazing bottle.

Nose: Nice caramel and vanilla tones on the nose. I keep getting a hard alcohol hit to the nose that I hope isn’t so harsh when I drink it. Taste: This has a nice caramel and baking spice upfront with hints of vanilla and oak. The flavors are all there but it’s slightly subdued and light. It’s a good overall drink. It’s smooth and is enjoyable but the flavors just don’t pop like I wanted them to with this one.