Maker's Mark 46 Kentucky Bourbon Whisky, 70cl

Product Information

In fact, Bill Senior was a sixth-generation distiller! But, that Roman numeral Margie placed on the bottle had the history and just plain looked good, so Maker’s Mark left it as is!) 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. 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.

One of the more recognizable bottles of bourbon on my shelf is the Maker’s Mark bourbon. With the bright red wax closure, you can spot this bottle at a distance. Today, I want to compare the Maker’s Mark vs Maker’s 46 bourbon whiskey to see how they differ. I suppose I can’t write this article without choosing which bourbon I favor. The truth is that I see value in having both of these bourbons at your home bar. Thirty-One Whiskey is a blog devoted to the appreciation of good whiskey, fine cigars, and the value of a hard day’s work in the wood shop. Hirsch Horizon Straight Bourbon is a high-rye content bourbon that’s similar to the Maker’s Mark 46. This bourbon is oaky, nuanced, and complex. I’d highly recommend the Hirsch for any bourbon or rye drinker. It also usually costs a few dollars less than the Maker’s Mark 46! 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 EngstI absolutely love how this smells. It’s rich and delicious with just a hint of sweetness on top. The first thing that comes to mind from the smell is a heavy helping of rich caramel and toffee, which is consistent with the original Maker’s Mark product, but the alcohol has been significantly mellowed out and there’s some additional fruit notes as well. I think I get some crisp and fruity green apple in there now, like a delicious caramel apple from the state fair. Now we get to the distillation process! Maker’s Mark double-distills their bourbon in copper stills. Meanwhile, somewhere outdoors, their virgin American oak barrels are being aired out or “seasoned” for at least nine months to remove bitter-causing tannins that often happen in young wood. (Those bitter tannins can also make the whiskey bitter as it is aged.)

Sadly, the variety of Maker’s Mark bourbon available in South Africa is (currently) limited to these two releases only. So what is the difference between these two bottles? His wife, Marjorie “Margie” Samuels, gave the whisky its name. She designed the now-classic label and came up with the red wax-dipping top that provides the bottle with its distinctive look. 1968 saw the first bottle of Maker’s Mark. The water used for Maker’s Mark is filtered naturally through limestone in the distillery’s own personal watershed. 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. 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 SpecsThe distillery and its associated brand were sold in 1981 to Hiram Walker & Sons, starting a long line of acquisitions which eventually ended in their current position with Beam Suntory in 2011. The company is the third largest manufacturer of alcoholic beverages, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois (with the holding company located in Osaka, Japan). Product Produced in small batches of 20 barrels or less, Maker's Mark 46 Cask Strength is a moderately limited release that features nothing but the French Oak staves used for 46 and bottling at cask strength. Once a distillery only release, Maker's Mark 46 CS can now be found across the country. 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.

Excerpt: The whole experience is a little flat and short of dazzling, but fans of the Maker’s program should find it at least an enjoyable diversion. Introduced in 2010, Maker’s Mark 46 was the first new variant produced by the distillery since it opened. It starts off life as a typical barrel of Makers Mark but then gets a little extra special sauce. Easy drinking with cinnamon and fruity sweetness; it is lovely. However, when you put the Maker’s 46 next to it, you can immediately taste what the extra time in the wood did to the whiskey. The finish of this bourbon is just as soft as the palate is and very smooth. There is no burn in this bourbon. When Bill Samuels Senior set out to make a soft bourbon, he certainly succeeded, in my opinion!Maker’s Mark is written below the wax seal in medium font and even smaller in italics beneath it “Stave Profile No. 46” of course with the number ’46’ large and front and center of the bottle. Beneath the 46, in smaller font, are the specs of the whiskey. 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.