Samuels Senior achieved that goal by using red winter wheat in his mash bill rather than the popular choice of distiller’s rye. Rye can make the whiskey spicy and sharp, two things that Bill Samuels Senior was trying to avoid. Moderate mouthfeel, sweet caramel and honey. I like how diverse the palate is - from notes of marshmallow, pepper, a touch of tobacco. Not too sweet, not too savory, not too peppery. The design of the Maker’s Mark 46 is more modern without veering too harshly from the tradition of the Maker’s Mark signature design or the Samuels family tradition. Maker’s Mark 46 Specs Starting at the nose, the initial wafts coming from the two glasses are pretty similar. Both have cherries, vanilla and oak. After a while, the Maker’s 46 shows a bolder, creamy wooden note on the nose. Looking at the Maker’s Mark, the vanilla and cherries continue on the palate.

Let’s talk about the history of the distillery, which is intricately tied into the Maker’s Mark founding family: the Samuels, and what each of these two bourbons has to offer.

Excerpt: I find none of the gritty, aluminum, aspartame notes from the standard 46 release, and this is a winner. Excerpt: I feel that detail was missed when crafting this batch. It could make a reasonable mixer with its bold cinnamon notes and heat, but I would not recommend it as a daily or even special occasion sipper. It is an excellent introduction to bourbon for someone who wants to explore it American bourbon more broadly. Maker’s 46 Bourbon Samuels started working with his family’s mash bill to make his own bourbon. It was a 170-year-old recipe, he believed himself to be the fourth-generation distiller. The taste mostly delivers on that promise. It’s warm and delicious, and the caramel and vanilla flavors are front and center. I don’t particularly get the apple flavor from the nose, but there is some fruitiness in there that’s making things interesting. There’s also a significant bit of burn from the alcohol in here that slightly detracts from the enjoyment, but in general it’s pretty good. On Ice

That distillery, once Burks Distillery and now Maker’s Mark, has been producing whiskey since 1889. The shape of the bottle is less squared than the Maker’s Mark original and taller. It’s more narrow at the bottom and expands slightly at the top, giving it a refreshing unique shape. The Maker’s Mark 46 bottle stands tall and is nothing short of regal. Excerpt: The more water I added the more I enjoyed it, but I was basically working my way towards the standard release drop by drop.And what’s more iconic than the wax seal of a Maker’s Mark bottle? Margie chose that too, taking her inspiration from 19th-century cognac bottles, which she also used to design the bottle shape itself! Excerpt: What this release is - a high proof wheated bourbon that will please Maker’s fans, but will be hard-pressed to leave a lasting impression. The cask-strength Maker’s Mark is then stored in the Maker’s Mark limestone cellar for nine weeks with ten seared virgin French oak staves. And those staves make all the difference! The name of Maker’s Mark 46 comes from the staves that worked best in this process: “Stave Profile No. 46”. The Maker’s Mark 46 Bottle Photo by Thea Engst Of course, I also mixed the Maker’s Mark 46 in an Old Fashioned. This made a wonderful drink as well, and I wasn’t disappointed. The woody notes in the Maker’s Mark 46 really popped here, and all the burn was mellowed by the sugar and bitters.

The stave choices amount to 1,001 different combinations, making each retailer’s choice unique. The Maker’s Mark 46 Process Excerpt: All that said, the flavors are nice but don’t have the same depth and richness as the nose – a bit of a letdown. The only thing missing is a bit of sweetness. There’s not really much inherent sweetness in the spirit so a bit of simple sugar or a well doused cube of sugar would go a long way. Fizz (Mule) The palate is very smooth with more caramel and now vanilla. It is softer than the nose with a really nice roundness as far as texture goes.Answer: I would not add a cube to the Maker’s Mark, it doesn’t need to be cooled down or to open up. A cube will dilute the Maker’s Mark and make it watery. The Maker’s Mark 46 however, definitely does well with an ice cube. I added a small cube to mine and it cooled the burn of that lingering spice I described in the tasting note Final Thoughts on Maker’s Mark vs. Maker’s Mark 46

Initially marketed as just Maker’s 46 Maker’s Mark 46 has been a staple of the Maker’s Mark brand for over 10 years now. Originally introduced as a more premium version of the standard Maker’s Mark, the product line has gone on to see a thriving private select program, a cask strength version, and serves as the base idea for the company’s annual wood finishing series. One of the key aspects was that Maker’s Mark 46 had a different bottle design versus the standard Marker’s Mark. Taller with broader shoulders the bottle prominently stated 46 and stood out on shelves, carrying an intriguing and premium feel to it. The Maker’s Mark 46 process begins where the inspiration for the new bourbon also came from, Maker’s Mark. The Maker’s Mark original is fully matured at cask-strength, which means it hasn’t been diluted with water so it’s higher proof. This is just right. There’s a good bit of caramel and vanilla to balance out the bitterness of the ginger beer, and there’s a touch of oak-y flavor that comes through to add some extra special something to the mix.The Roman numeral for four symbolizes Bill Samuels’ being the fourth-generation distiller of his family. (Fun fact: Bill Junior discovered at some point that his father was not the fourth-generation distiller he believed he was. Cherries, brandied fruit, toasted wood and vanilla spice. Adding a few drops of water brings out more spice and woody notes. One thing I appreciate about this design is that the majority of the bottle is open clear glass. The normal Maker’s Mark bottle is mostly wrapped in paper, but in this case the deep amber color of the liquid inside is on full display. And it looks great. There are few bottles that are more recognizable than Margie’s design for Maker’s Mark. Everything on Margie’s bottle has a reason for being there.