🥃Review #9: Maker's Mark Cask Strength

Maker's Mark has been a go-to brand of mine since before I knew what bourbon was. The sweet wheated mainstay of that namesake was the first 1.75L bottle of whiskey I ever bought and so it will always hold a special place on my palate. Maker's does a lot of things right, including their Marker's Mark ambassador program which let's brand fans have their name put on a barrel and to get bottles filled specifically from that barrel. Mine will be mature sometime later this year and I'm excited to go visit it. I'd always heard great things about the cask strength as well, so let's get into it...

🛒Sourced: $39.99 at Tower Liquors Buckhead - GA

🧪Proof: 110, 55%

📚Background: Ranging from 108 to 114 proof, Maker's Mark Cask Strength is uncut by the addition of water. Most Maker's batches are barreled at 110 proof with higher angel's share batches notching up a wee bit. They do screen filter the bourbon to remove wood pieces and char, but from there it's straight into the bottle. This means that whatever you feel about regular Marker's, you'll feel 1.3x about this bottle. It is a wheated bourbon, using red winter wheat, and Maker's does hype up the calcium- and magnesium-rich water surrounding the distillery which they say promotes a better sour mash in which yeast can flourish. No age statement, but we do know that Maker's Mark ages 5-7 years in level 3 charred barrels following 8-12 months of seasoning. Update: As of 12/10/24, Maker's has upped their threshold to 5-8 years for Ambassador barrels and the site claims 6-8 years for standards. This seems to imply that again barrel supply is recovering from the bourbon boom.

🥔Mash Bill: The same as Maker's Mark: 70% Corn, 16% Red Winter Wheat, 14% Malted Barley. Maker's uses a proprietary yeast strain that is over 60 years old. They are also one of the few producers to practice barrel rotation which exposes all barrels to different conditions around the rickhouse to result in a more uniform aging across barrels.

👃Nose: Heavy, lots of oak, ample sweetness, intermittent wafts of vanilla. Sniffs appropriate to its proof.

😜Palate: Though it's stronger I actually find it drinks less sweet than the standard bottle, oak and cherry wood flavors with warm vanilla, limited but some caramel as it sits on the tongue. Finish is peppery and tingles a little with the tiniest amount of burn. Look for maraschino cherry, amaretto cream, and sponge cake.

🔍 Comparison: This bottle came from batch 23-05 (assuming May of 2023). I have also had a batch from 2022 (not sure the exact release). If I had to wager, I would say this one was likely a little younger as there was a bit more astringency and heat on the nose and finish. Altogether still both excellent bottles. I rated that bottle an 8/10 at the time.

🏆 Overall: 7.5/10 - Great - There is a lot of love in this bottle. From the red wax and paper label aesthetic to the smooth and easy drinking hug of the bourbon, it's hard to find much to quibble with in this glass. It has strong developed flavors with good wood character, and an experienced palate can find lots to enjoy in terms of secondary flavors. Overall it is a very dynamic palate indeed. For the money, it's pretty much this pour, Broken Barrel Full Proof (which I can't seem to find anymore), and a step down to Benchmark Full Proof for wonderful Barrel Proof Bourbons. I love regular Maker's and I am greatly enjoying the Cask Strength edition. Comparing this and Larceny's Barrel Proof, I tend towards the Maker's Cask Strength every time.

💵Would buy again? Absolutely, permanently on my shelf. As time passes, I grow to appreciate Maker's Cask Strength even more.

⚖️Rating Scale:

A final word about my barrel, I can't wait to meet her in person! Update 8/30/2025 - Just got back from the graduation tour and it was wonderful. Star hill farm is stunning.

👇Some other Barrel Proof Reviews:

Benchmark Full Proof

Larceny barrel Proof

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