Maker’s Mark is one of my favorite stand-by whiskies. Maker’s 46 is one of the most underrated. And the Private Select is one of the best CS bourbons. This is the natural progression in Maker’s Mark journey. Old-style bottling. Batch No. 18-01. 55.75% ABV. Nose: Brown sugar, caramel, and vanilla. Baked apple pie and cherry. Orange cream soda. Dried apricot. Pistachio and walnut. Woody, sawdust notes. Ethanol, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and oak. Palate: Brown sugar, vanilla, caramel, toffee, and cocoa. Gala apple and cherry. Pistachio,pecan, and chestnut. Orange peel, pumpkin spice, pipe smoke, and black pepper. Sawdust and woody notes. Red Hot Tamales. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and ethanol. Finish: Brown sugar, caramel, cocoa, and cola. Gala apple and cherry. Pistachio and walnut. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. As long as you’d expect of a 55.75% ABV bourbon. Another winner from Maker’s Mark. Nose and finish are solid, but the finish is the real difference maker here. And at $55, this one hits its mark as a value buy—and then some. This, Private Select, and the various annual Wood Finish Series releases fill a rare niche—that being the category of cask strength wheated bourbons. It’s been interesting to work through these different variations, and by and large, they’re all quality. 4.5 for this one. The finish and VFM are both huge factors here. This is a 2018 bottling. Mileage may vary. But based on my first bottle, I highly recommend MMCS.