Whiskey_Hound
Maker's Mark 46 French Oaked
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed
September 3, 2018 (edited September 20, 2024)
Maker’s 46 was one of my very first “favorite bourbons”—one of the ones that elevated my interest above the bottom shelf. It actually inspired me to begin reviewing whisky, and yet, after all these years, I’ve yet to do this one the service of a proper review. And since this bottle needs no further introduction, I’ll get right to it.
Nose: Loads of caramel, brown sugar, and vanilla. Some toffee and coffee. Cherry and gala apple. Cola. Vick’s Vapor Rub. Some bready notes with toasted almond. Walnut. Cinnamon, allspice, clove, nutmeg, and oak spice.
Palate: Caramel, toffee, brown sugar, and vanilla. Milk chocolate. Cherry and gala apple. Vanilla pecan ice cream. Peanut butter. Cola. Toasted almond. Cocoa and black pepper. Maybe faint tobacco smoke. Maybe. Cinnamon, white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak spice.
Finish: Heavy on the cherry, gala apple, and Vick’s Vapor Rub. Caramel, brown sugar, and vanilla. Bitter oak. Orange citrus, pipe smoke, black pepper, and cocoa. Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and white pepper. Moderate-long.
This is just fantastic. Since this is one of the whiskies that got me going in my formative years, it’d be hard to say there is no bias—considering this may well have informed my palate. Yet, we all evolve, and for me, this retains its quality. Clean but potent and flavorful. An immense step up over the standard MM—and for only $9 more.
And that’s really the kicker here. On quality alone I give this a 4.5/5. But the fact that I can get a top rate bottle of whisky for the meager price of $40 is worth an extra half star. It’s that good of a deal. If the Weller’s and the Pappy’s are too much, MM46 is your answer for a go-to wheater. Superb.
40.0
USD
per
Bottle
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@BDanner I definitely agree with you there. That really is an apt description for the 46, and I think it's part of why I like it so much. I've seen many people so that it isn't worth the extra few bucks, but to me this is on of the unsung heroes of the bourbon category.
I recently heard an interview with Bill Samuels. 46 was his idea. His goal was to create something that not only hit the sweet notes on the front of the palate, but also the bitter/oaky notes on the back of the palate since one of the common complaints about MM was the lack of finish. I think he accomplished this. I love 46 for this very reason. That nice sweet up front, the creamy mid palate and the oaky finish. Definitely worth the price differential over the standard.
@JottyT Do you say this because the 46 is only a few months older than the standard Maker's Mark or because you see little to no difference in the quality of each respective bourbon?
Respect the review, but the process involved in this upgrade from the regular batch doesn't justify a purchase. May be worth the money, but not in a collection stand point imo. Respect!