So after my last post, tasting the Robert Burns scotch and ranting about how whisky prices are becoming outrageous, I went out today, the first day these Maker’s BEP bottles were available in my area and bought two bottles for $70 a piece. Is that too much? Nope, even though previous releases were $60, I don’t feel that $70 is too much for the final Finish Series Cask Strength Special Release that Maker’s has planned. I’m sad to see them go, in fact. And I bought two bottles because I either have or have had all of these except the 2019, and every time I’ve opened one of these and finished it, I wished I had bought another to store so I could enjoy it again down the line sometime. Ergo, I bought two of these today to make sure I could do that (the only other I managed to get my hands on a second bottle of was FAE-02). And I’m a little biased. Maker’s is my favorite bourbon from way back, I love the regular Cask Strength, and I love the Finishing Series. So this was a no-brainer. So first off, I think this might be a little darker than most of the others in the Finishing Series. I haven’t actually held the bottle up against those, but I like what the darkness portends, which is usually rich flavor. And make know mistake, everything you’ve heard about this from the review here on Distiller to the writeup on Drinkhacker to, well…those are the only I’ve encountered so far, but as a Barrel Entry Proof release, this does indeed double down on everything that is great about Makers: It’s 110 proof, and the nose is a bit strong, but it’s got a nice sweet corn edge to it (there might be more there, but my allergies are acting up something fierce today so my nose is a bit clogged). Despite the proof, the palate is smooth as silk with lots of rich caramel and vanilla and dark tobacco and cherry and the finish lingers nicely with a white pepper bite, a trace of cherry pie filling, and maybe a little bit of green apple on the back end. When I read that this was going to be 110 and celebrating the Barrel Entry Proof, I wondered how it would be any different from the standard Cask Strength but this is definitely different and I would say superior, especially in mouthfeel which is extremely creamy and coating. Overall, I'd have to say this is the best of the Finishing Series that I've tried, though I do have unopened bottles of BRT 02, FAE 01, and the 2020 Edition whose code was too complicated for me to commit to memory. Does anyone have any info on why this is going to be the last one? These were actually the releases I looked forward to every year. The way some people look forward to batches of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof or Larceny or Bookers, I looked forward to the Maker’s Mark Finish Series. If this is truly the end, they’ve gone out on a high note, like Jordan deciding to stop after six championships or Jay Z telling us he was going to retire after The Black Album. I kind of hope, like those cases, it’s all hype and Maker’s will be returning with more of this Series. But unlike those other examples, let’s hope they continue to rise to this level. If Maker’s comes back with a whisky that mirrors Jordan’s tenure with the Wizards, then maybe they should just stay retired. But I can’t say that I’m not a little sad about this, and I can’t say that I might not seek out a third bottle if they’re still in stock after my credit card rolls over and my whisky budget for next month is freed up again.