Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series selections have long been some of my favorites. Yes there were some misses ( 2020's SE4 PR5 for example ) but even the misses in this series were still pretty damn good. And so we come to the final installment of Maker's Mark Wood Finishing series: 2023's BEP. I am so sad to see this line go by the way side. Every year I get so excited as spring starts to blossom to summer and the days get warmer. The anticipation of getting my hands on that year's Wood Finishing Series always creates excitement for me around April / May. The nose of BEP is significantly less hot than previous entries, as expected of the slightly lower proof. It smells like its going to be delicious with all of the right, classic smells. Caramel, vanilla and chocolate all make an appearance with just a hint of tannic charred oak. BEP is almost syrupy on the tongue and singing with vanilla, toffee and brown sugar. That oak on the nose makes its return with just a gentle kiss of baking spices. The finish feels its proof, warming on the way down. Makes me think that this would be an excellent dram for the winter. The sweetness fades away in favor of that tannic oak, cloves and baking spices. The finish lingers and along with it, a bit of tongue tingle right in the center of your tongue. This is up there with the best in this series. My sweet tooth tends to lean toward RC6 and FAE01 as the two best in the Wood Finishing Lineup but man, this isn't far behind. Go get a bottle and bid farewell to the Wood Finishing Series with one of the very best.