Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series 2021 FAE-01

Nose: caramel and cherry. Some leather. Taste: spicy for sure, caramel, fruity and dark chocolate. The abv is noticeable, I’ll have to come back with some drops of water later. Its very good.

This is a great pour, sweet and spicy with lots of fruit and toasted wood.

Nose: Every time Pinocchio takes a dip in the glass, the aromas oscillate here and there with cherries and burnt sugar. Once you're past the ethanol hit, an underlying subtle note of oats (thank you, @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington) and/or apple pie crust emerge from the woodwork. At other times - bananas and wet tobacco (although much less so than in the Makers 46). Just a spectacular bourbon nose. Palate: In the mouth, this is a tad less dynamic but quite rich with maple syrup, cherries, a cinnamon streak, a hint of raspberries, and a spicy, wood-inflected finish. Finish: It gives away its DNA. Its similarity to Maker's 46 is palpably evident. At about 10% more ABV, it's more intense but not 10% hotter, if that makes sense. As I grow acclimated to the ABV, there's almost a peanut and oat note that's surprising. To compare this to the Makers 46 isn't a competition - it's a one way street. Although not night and day in difference -- after all, the finishing phase of this expression uses toasted American oak staves, while the 46 uses French oak staves -- the doubling of cost is justified in my eyes. Zeroing in on the emptied glasses of both - the nose here is much fuller with sweetness and fruit than the 46, which in contrast, plays closer to instant iced tea in aroma. The case @Whiskey_Hound makes in his review of the Wood Finishing Series 2020 is cogent and timely. With the prices of Booker's and ECBP reaching double MSRP, Maker's Mark is offering an excellent value-for-money proposition here with their Wood Finishing Series. (And to flog a dead horse, this is still about $10 cheaper than Knob Creek 12 in California.) While overall, I'm more of a scotch fan than a bourbon drinker - if the opposite were true, I'd easily rate this above the four stars mark. Once this bottle is emptied, I'll be looking forward to a repeat performance from the FAE-02. And that's not an impression, it's simple logic.

Neat. Fresh bottle. Nose is sweet fruity vanilla cherry. Taste is sweet and fruity with a spicy fruity sweet finish. Notes of baking spices and Cherry.

Straight cherry cola. Super rich. I'll buy another bottle before it's gone.

The color is copper like a new penny. The nose is sweet oak and apple. Rich sweet carmel and toffee hits first on the tongue. I get bit of dark chocolate as I pull the sip in further. There is a nice toasted oak note near the finish with just the lightest touch of leather. There's definitely some complexity in this pour, though my taste buds are not highly trained enough to pick them all out. The finish leaves a nice tingle in your mouth, but even at the higher proof there's no lingering burn as this one goes down the hatch. This reminds me just a bit of Weller 107, which is also wheated, similar proof, and delicious. This one will definitely be added to my favorites list.