Bill Samuels

Makers Mark New #46 Bourbon: First Taste

Filed under: Spirits

For Maker's Mark Bourbon drinkers, there hasn't been much variety. Except for the odd limited run brand extension that involved a bit more aging, the core Maker's Mark has been the whole show.

Contrast that allegiance to the original recipe with a few of its rivals such as Jim Beam, Wild Turkey and Woodford Reserve. Wild Turkey, for example, has six expressions including 80-proof, 86.8-proof, 101, Rare Breed, 8-year old and 12-year old. Woodford has come out with limited run expressions with different barrel finishes like one in which the Bourbon was finished in Sonoma-Cutrer wine barrels for a few months.

Now, Maker's is getting into the act. In a few months, the Loretto, Ky. distiller will launch Maker's Mark "#46," a slightly higher proof Bourbon expression that has been finished in barrels containing toasted oak staves for several extra months of aging. The staves, in fact, are seared on the outside. The result: a Maker's Mark Bourbon with slightly less sweetness and vanilla, and a bit more earthy cinnamon. And while I have read other reviewers comment that they thought #46 was hotter on the tongue than standard Maker's Mark, I had the opposite reaction. #46, to me, is a bit quieter on the tongue and has a smoother finish than regular Maker's despite the higher alcohol content.

This is not a radical departure for Maker's. Indeed, I had to drink both Maker's Mark and Maker's #46 against each other for 15 minutes to formulate my review, and pull out the differences. That's not a huge surprise since #46 has regular maker's at its core. The Bourbon is crafted to the regular Maker's taste profile before it is barreled for the extra finish.

Tags: American Whisky Trail, AmericanWhiskyTrail, Bill Samuels, BillSamuels, Bourbon, Makers Mark, makers mark 46, MakersMark, Small-batchBouron

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The Classicist: Maker's Mark & Bourbon Heritage Month

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, The Classicist

Maker's Mark, the top shelf Kentucky bourbon that traces its roots all the way back to 1780, just celebrated September's demarcation as National Bourbon Heritage Month during the 17th Annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival down South. The storied whisky maker isn't resting on its laurels however; they also just kicked off an admirable new campaign to encourage people to vote in the upcoming elections with a 16-city cross country bus tour and two new special limited edition bottlings featuring red, white and blue wax seals.

The story of Maker's, which is handmade in small quantities using water from a spring-fed lake and a mash consisting of corn, barley and winter wheat, goes back to 1870 when third generation Scottish-Irish immigrant Robert Samuels arrived in Kentucky. A farmer by trade, Samuels began making whisky for himself and a few friends. His grandson T.W. erected the family's first "commercial" distillery at Samuels Depot, the family farm, in 1840.

Fast-forward 100 years and the story takes an unexpected turn. T.W.'s great-great-grandson Bill Samuels Sr. was not overly fond of the "secret" family recipe - so he literally burnt it and sold off the distillery, which had become overly commercial. He then spent several years experimenting with different grains until he developed a entirely new bourbon recipe based on locally grown maize (corn), malted barley and soft, red, gentle winter wheat - as opposed to the traditional and harsher grain, rye.

Gallery: Maker's Mark Bourbon