Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington
Maker's Mark Cask Strength
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed
December 17, 2019 (edited May 15, 2020)
Nice color, slow legs. Characteristic red wheat nose with floral hints, maple syrup, oak char and a whiff of ethanol to remind you this isn’t your typical Makers.
Mouthfeel is nice until the proof hits and then bang! Everything gets mixed up until the slightly oily, red wheat finish (which has a spicy bite all its own but different from that of rye). I’m honestly enjoying the finish and don’t feel rushed to go back just set. The corn and maple sweetness also lingers in a pleasant way for minutes at a time.
Back at the nose I imagine maple pecan pancakes on a rainy day. Second sip starts like the first - mild, slight viscosity, corn sweetness and again BANG comes the proof. Maybe I should have worked my way up to this one and it wouldn’t but so much but odd how it doesn’t come along until mid palate.
It’s overall a pleasant pour and the finish is long lasting and fantastic. They layers of sour mash, maple, spice, nuttiness and oak char are all there. By the fourth sip the burn is more tame but is still felt making me wonder how it could be tamed or if it even should. The sensation is a bit unbalanced vs something like a ECBP or Weller Full Proof. Drinks like a 125+ Bookers with less hints of aged oak.
Good? Oh yes. My favorite of the cask strength / barrel proof bourbons out there? Noop. If offered a dram - take it. There might be a reason most of the bottles sold are 375ml. I’m hoping my 750ml takes some with age but it will get finish eventually.
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@Ctrexman I know there are many that really like MMCS, so opinions on the internet are worth about what you pay for them, mine included, haha. I think it’s mostly that this just wasn’t to my palate, which surprised me because I like the standard bottling. I think concentrating those flavors just elevated the grassy vegetal notes to my taste. I had always intended to proof it down and find the sweet stop but just never ended up doing so. This thread did inspire me to finally kill that bottle in a delightful mixed drink last night though, so thank y’all for that!
@Ctrexman in all fairness I haven’t done the work to try and proof this down. There’s just other CS bourbons more suited to my palate like Old Forester 1920.
Y'all are talkin me outta this right quick.... (working on my Texas lingo)
@bigwhitemike I definitely wanted more out of this. One of the few duds of 2019 for me. I have a few other CS pours that integrate the high ABV much better...
@WhiskeyLonghorn glad to know there are others turned off by the incessant kick the MMCS has. I get a nasal cavity and mouthful of grassy ethanol each time that makes it hard to enjoy the other nice flavors and mouthfeel that are there. Virtually no change through the glass every time I’ve had it. Have a 3 year old bottle on its last legs that I had been saving for side by sides but will probably just get mixed into something.
@Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington @Ctrexman I’m with you both. I’m on the OF train. Love that cherry note. Had a pour yesterday! Shame about the Makers CS. I had such high hopes b
count me in on whiskey row....had em all except the 1910. Theyre all real good but the 1920 is awesome
@WhiskeyLonghorn I’ve been enjoying the OF Whiskey Row lineup - after noshing on 1920 for the past month I opened up the 1897 bottled in bond again and appreciated the vanilla bomb nose smokey cherry hind palate - nothing like readily available, tasty bourbon
I’ve had this one open for four months now and it hasn’t opened up anymore. That blast from the alcohol just obliterates my palate and I can’t enjoy the rest of the pour. Giving it to a friend who’s more into bourbon for Christmas. Maybe she’ll get more out of it. Back to OF 1920 for me.
Nice review........Ive been stalking this one at specs for a while........will pounce soon