”Love on the Rocks”
Whisky Review # 924
Country: USA
Region: Kentucky
Brand: Maker's Mark 101
Distilled at: Maker's Mark Distillery, Loretto, Kentucky
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Age: NAS (said to be around 6 Years)
Brand: Maker's Mark 101
Distilled at: Maker's Mark Distillery, Loretto, Kentucky
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Age: NAS (said to be around 6 Years)
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 50.5%
Maturation: Fresh Charred American Oak Bourbon casks
Chill-Filtration: No
Maturation: Fresh Charred American Oak Bourbon casks
Chill-Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 35-50 (July 2021)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍
Buying Advice: 👍 Delicious on the Rocks!
Colour: Bronze (Natural Color)
Nose:
Vanilla and Fruit-filled Puff Pastry are the first impressions. It's quite Sweet but in a sort of relaxing way. The extra Alcohol provides some steroids and my advise would be to Nose along the edges of your glass. You will get much more Fruit that way. I like the Nose of Maker's Mark in general and this is no exception.
Main Aromas:
Sweet Corn, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Toffee, Creme Catalan, Fresh Peach-filled Puff-Pastry, English Breakfast Orange Marmalade, Sawdust, Cinnamon, Cloves, Aniseed and a few Fresh Herbs.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Sweet Barley/Grain, Honey, Caramel, Demerara Sugar, Golden Syrup, Cooked Apple, Strawberry Yogurt , Resin, Milk Chocolate, Charred Oak, Leather and a pinch of squeezed Lemon.
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍
Buying Advice: 👍 Delicious on the Rocks!
Colour: Bronze (Natural Color)
Nose:
Vanilla and Fruit-filled Puff Pastry are the first impressions. It's quite Sweet but in a sort of relaxing way. The extra Alcohol provides some steroids and my advise would be to Nose along the edges of your glass. You will get much more Fruit that way. I like the Nose of Maker's Mark in general and this is no exception.
Main Aromas:
Sweet Corn, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Toffee, Creme Catalan, Fresh Peach-filled Puff-Pastry, English Breakfast Orange Marmalade, Sawdust, Cinnamon, Cloves, Aniseed and a few Fresh Herbs.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Sweet Barley/Grain, Honey, Caramel, Demerara Sugar, Golden Syrup, Cooked Apple, Strawberry Yogurt , Resin, Milk Chocolate, Charred Oak, Leather and a pinch of squeezed Lemon.
The Alcohol is noticeable and Wood and Spices come to the front at the expense of the Fruit. Sweet, Bitter and Sour notes are all part of the mix.
Main Flavours:
Sweet Corn, Vanilla, Caramel, Cherry Mint, Apple, Orange Marmalade, Resin, Charred Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves, Menthol and Aniseed.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Grains, Demerara Sugar, Vanilla-Flavored Pipe Tobacco, Honey, Toasted Nuts, Pear drops, Slivovitz, Lemon, Leather, Fresh Herbs and Black Tea.
Middle-Long and quite Dry. A mix of Sweet, Sour and Bitter notes. The Alcohol is noticeable. Wood and Spices are in a constant battle with the Sweeter Grain notes and tend to be on the winning side for most of the time. I find Caramel, Sweet Grains, Toffee, Vanilla, Butterscotch, Buttered Toast/Honey, Orange, Baked Apple, Charred Oak, Straw, Nuts, Cocoa Powder, the Famous Dutch Chocomel, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves, Ginger and Mint/Aniseed.
Drinking Advice:
I added a little Water and that helps to mellow out Palate and Finish. It shows that the ABV of the 46 is the correct one for Maker's Mark Bourbon in my opinion.
Rating: 85.5
Nose: 22 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21.5
Drinking Experience Neat: Good
I added a little Water and that helps to mellow out Palate and Finish. It shows that the ABV of the 46 is the correct one for Maker's Mark Bourbon in my opinion.
Rating: 85.5
Nose: 22 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21.5
Drinking Experience Neat: Good
Drinking Experience On the Rocks: Very Good
Conclusion:
Maker's Mark is America's only handmade Bourbon with each individual batch less than 19 Barrels. The distillery still uses the Sour Mash method where they start each new batch fermentation by using a little of the last. This results in a consistent final product. They rotate the barrels during the season for that same reason. The Mash Bill consists of Corn (70%), Malted Barley (14%) & Red Winter Wheat (16%). By not using Rye, a sweeter and softer profile is created. I have previously tasted the Standard Maker's Mark and the Maker's Mark 46, both of which I liked. In fact, Maker's Mark is my to go to everyday Bourbon. The 101 I'm tasting today, initially was served only to select visitors at the distillery. But in 2018 it was launched as the brand's first exclusive Global Retail bottling.
Maker's Mark is America's only handmade Bourbon with each individual batch less than 19 Barrels. The distillery still uses the Sour Mash method where they start each new batch fermentation by using a little of the last. This results in a consistent final product. They rotate the barrels during the season for that same reason. The Mash Bill consists of Corn (70%), Malted Barley (14%) & Red Winter Wheat (16%). By not using Rye, a sweeter and softer profile is created. I have previously tasted the Standard Maker's Mark and the Maker's Mark 46, both of which I liked. In fact, Maker's Mark is my to go to everyday Bourbon. The 101 I'm tasting today, initially was served only to select visitors at the distillery. But in 2018 it was launched as the brand's first exclusive Global Retail bottling.
You can't go wrong with any Maker's Mark edition if you like your Bourbon a little Sweeter and without the Rye component. I like the standard Maker's but it misses a little Punch that both the 46 and 101 provide. The 46 is the best sipping Maker's of the three if you ask me as the ABV is spot-on. The 101 accepts a little Water and therefore it's my favorite Maker's on the Rocks. Simply delicious! With Maker's Mark you'll never enjoy " A Shot in the Dark" 😜
Cheers!
Jan van den Ende July 28, 2021
Cheers!
Jan van den Ende July 28, 2021
