Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series 2023 BEP

Nice nose. Typical MM notes. Light apple, sweet caramel and spice, with the added bonus of hay and leather. Palate brings strong caramel, apples, vanilla, spice and black pepper. A hint of chlorine which I get from MM often. Finish is a bit cut off and unimpressive. The limited releases are real hit and miss with me. This is more miss than hit. Pleasant, but nothing memorable. Standard BP options and most of the private selections are better.

The nose is a burst of sweet oak, caramel, dark chocolate, a bit of heat and touches of ripe fruit that are a hallmark of wheated bourbon. This is vastly different from the standard Maker's Mark profile, for what it is it comes across as a dessert. The palate is gentle, rich, somewhat oily and full of oak and caramel. Brown sugar cascades through the mouth, that is to say in a very gentle and balanced amount. It is slightly chewy, which helps to bring out the dark chocolate. There are faint touches of ripe fruit in the background, however is not prominent nor does it need to be. Everything you taste is in a very harmonious balance and doesn't require much else. The finish however, is only medium at best. It is a little too short for what the rest of the experience has offered. However, a mix of all the flavors continue to mingle in the mouth, still offering some chewiness as it all fades. The finish while a bit of a let down, doesn't take away from how delicious this is. This is a great combination of wood finishing and definite hit.

Spicy heat throughout. A little water softens it nicely.