Everyone knows Maker's, but perhaps you didn't know with Maker's 46, it was the 46th wood stave profile attempt before this distillery was satisfied with the final outcome of this expression and was thusly named. And so with this expression you take standard Maker's and finish it a few more months with seared french oak staves added to the barrel. Was it worth all the trial and error to end up with Maker's 46? Will I finally meet my Maker's? Let's find out! Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn, no water added. On the nose, you are greeted with a sweet vanilla, honey, with some cherry fruitiness, and a bit of cinnamon spice. The additional oak stave finishing doesn't impart much enhanced oaky character or char on the nose. But the nose is definitely improved over standard Maker's, just richer and more focused in its intent. On the palate it starts pleasantly, but never overly, sweet followed by an immediate high spicy cinnamon kick, really high actually, and pretty hot on the tongue. Mouthfeel is light. Following the initial spicy kick, the sip turns a bit tart as the extra oak staves finally announce their presence on the expression with a nice astringent oaky tannin note popping up. A taste of new cut wood mixed with light coffee or chocolate at times is what I'm picking up. Very tasty palate here, definitely amps up and adds to the flavors from the standard variety. The finish is moderately long with more vanilla and caramel sweetness, light cherry, mixed with toasted oaky wood char and tobacco fading in and out. Overall, a very worthwhile upgrade from your standard Maker's. 46 takes the sweet lightly fruity profile of regular Maker's and turns up the heat a few degrees in spiciness and woody character. Are these factors worth the $15 price increase from regular Maker's? Depends on how much you value a much more wood forward character and a blast of cinnamon spice. I happen to love wood forward expressions and the lively spice definitely wakes the senses, so I much prefer it to the regular octane variety. I typically much prefer Weller Special Reserve to standard Makers for a wheater, both for flavor and lower cost. But I think I might like 46 more than Weller SR, but it comes at about double the cost. Larceny offers similar high spiciness, but loses the woodiness and frutiness for a more nutty character and is also much cheaper for a wheater. So while I feel Maker's has created a winner in all their trials to end up at 46, I think the higher cost will hold it back for me as a regular wheated pour. For those regulars, Weller or Larceny will still rule the rotations, while 46 will earn its keep as something as a special pour when the occasion calls for it, or as a comparative basis on how Maker's created only its second whisky in as many years to hit shelves. From a technical point of view it is pretty interesting in how their wood finishing changes the final product, but know that it comes at a cost. It's a great whisky actually, but in the mid $40s range, I'm picking Rare Breed, Knob Creek SiB store pick, or EH Taylor BiB. While not wheaters they are, for me, far superior whiskeys for the buck. And if you really must have a wheated bourbon, and special too at the $40 mark, the Weller 12 or Antique is your huckleberry, but good luck in finding them on the regular. Cheers!