Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series 2024 The Heart Release

Aroma opens with black cherry, caramel chew candy, barrel char, toasted oak, grape, vanilla bean, leather and nutmeg. Ethanol somewhat present, but it’s not a killer. Complex. Palate brings chocolate, black cherry, walnut, burnt brown sugar, red apple, maple, toasted marshmallow, furniture polish, and gingerbread. There is a lot going on here. Oak is definitely prevalent, maybe a little too prevalent as it kind of overshadows some of the more desirable notes. Flavors are rich. Extremely long finish offers more oak, blood orange, cinnamon, pepper, clove, caramel, and an indistinct earthiness. Mouthfeel is excellent; full bodied and creamy. Compliments the flavor profile perfectly. An intriguing whiskey that does a nice job of blending fruit notes with dark sugars. At $79.99, it’s a winner. In fact, after tasting it I went back to the liquor store to get another bottle and surprise, surprise, it was gone. Ranks up there with some of the best of the previous wood finished releases.

Ome of the best makers mark product I've ever had. Great proof and great finish.

A second run of Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series?! Be still my beating heart. At RRP these are some of the best bang for the buck, limited release bourbons you can buy. And I couldn't wait to get my grubby little hands on this one. Baking spices and bittersweet chocolate are dominant on the nose but also some slightly burnt caramel that adds a slightly charred, toasty character to the nose. Deep into the nose, you'll catch a whiff of over ripened cherries and a bit of the tannic oak to create a well rounded if not slightly less sweet scent. Luckily, the sweetness certainly shows itself at the front of the taste with chocolate and maple gently rolling warmly onto the tongue. The heat adds a bit of prickle, but it's not unpleasant nor does it sting. That tannic oak is much less present on the taste but definitely an underlying note but comes on mid taste with baking spice. Sweet and spicy cinnamon rounds out the taste and brings on a little more tongue tingle from the proof. As the taste rolls in to the finish, some tart cherry joins the spice to create a little more viscosity on the mouth feel that was otherwise lacking until then. The finish is medium long but not super oily. Cherry sticks around for the finish as well as some tannic oak. The spice slowly fades out to give center stage to slight tartness and tannins. Although this release is a bit less sweet than I am used to seeing from Maker's Mark it is indeed yet another home run. I've read that they've just been released this month, so hurry out and snag a bottle before they're gone. It is well worth the price of admission.

Loved this bottle. Wish I bought atleast 3 more! Would recommend this to anyoke on the fence

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium-dark amber. Nose: Caramel, maple, chocolate notes. Palate: Baking spice, mild clove and some oak tannins. Finish: Medium length with mwdium heat. Splash: No new flavors are revealed, but the clove and oak somehow bwcome more pronounced with a few drops of water. Overall: 8/10 - I didn't get a chance (yet) to try the older wood finishing series from MM, so my only comparisons are to the regular MM and the Private Selects. This seems to be in between them, but not in a bad way. This is bolder than regular MM and less spicy than the Private Select bottles I've tried (albeit more pricy). This hits the right notes, but at a premium price point. I hope to try more in this series as they come out.