whiskeyfortheages, Author at Whiskey for the Ages

Maker’s Mark RC6 Bourbon Review

Posted on 09-October-202129-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Maker’s Mark RC6 Bourbon Review

Original review written October 5, 2021

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Very sweet, and very fruity, this tastes great, and I would definitely share with someone who doesn’t like the heat. I do wish there was more wood or spice for balance, but this is still enjoyable. 85/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Loretto, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Maker’s Mark Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Wheated Whiskey; Wood Finishing Series
– Age: nas (believed to be about 6 yrs. old)
– Mash Bill: Corn=70%; Soft Red Winter Wheat=16%; Malted Barley=14%
– Casks: unpublished char
– Barrel Entry Proof: 110
– ABV: 54.1% (108.2 proof)
– Price: $69.95 USD in Idaho (2019)

Visit makersmark.com for more information on the Wood Finishing Series

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the spirit neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

While this bourbon isn’t exactly floral, I think it’s simplicity would pair well with a field of brightly colored flowers and grass. The earth can ground you in ways that this pour may not be able to, while still working off of the sweetness already present in the air. It’s soft, and it’s warm, and it doesn’t need anywhere fancy for it to be properly enjoyed.

Photo by Henry Be on Unsplash

NOSE:

Immediately on the nose, this is a caramel and vanilla bomb. The oak has a light, smoky essence that only allows for the sweet smells to be more pronounced. There is some dark brown sugar accompanying it, along with some graham crackers and maple syrup. I find a slight nutty element as well – perhaps pecans – and it makes for a very buttery nose, overall. A strong argument could be made for the presence of cherries, but not maraschino. These are dark, bing cherries. The alcohol is very soft, and only on deep inhales, are you going to find a bit of a zing. Very excited for the palate on this one!

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: The caramel and maple both serve to make the whole mouth feel very syrupy and even a bit oily.
– Balance: Unexpected. The flavors are dominantly sweet and fruity, and while I like these flavors, I do wish there was some significant wood or spice to complement the sweetness.
– Visual: Carrot in color, this even looks oily in the glass, with a defined and thick crown that gives way to a curtain of thick legs.

– Taste: Caramel, maple, and cherry are the most obvious on the first sip. The cherries explode a lot like pop rocks candy does, chased surprisingly, by a yeasty component. I think this is where the wheat from the mash bill is the strongest, as the yeast does come across quite bready. There also seems to be currants with their own little pop of flavor, and nutmeg too. If I squint, some red delicious apples join the currants for brightness, as well as plums that contribute more to the darker flavors.

The alcohol is still quite mild, only with a hint of a bite on the palate. When I partake in a Kentucky chew, raisins, white pepper, and burnt caramel come forth, along with some alcohol bite.

As many of you know, I’m sure, fruits are among my favorite flavors to find in a bourbon, so you can imagine I am pleased with this palate. The only thing that I could critique slightly, is that I am struggling to find a definite base to this bourbon. In other words, I cannot find much oak on the palate, despite it having been present on the nose. This is still a good bourbon, but I do think an oaky foundation could have taken it to the next level. I find this realization surprising actually, as RC6 does belong to the Wood Finishing Series. Again, this is still a great tasting bourbon!

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Medium-Long. I get some warmth, and some flavor, but the heat lingers the longest just at the back of the palate.
– Between Sips: I find fruit leather and some allspice between sips, and both work together extremely well on an empty palate.

– No More: The caramel grows the further into the glass I get, with some light vanilla bean joining it. It remains soft in alcohol and sweet overall, with no new bursts of spice or wood to be found.

The empty Glencairn is incredibly oaky, and I really wish that even just some of that oak had been present in the rest of the pour. A bit of the yeast comes back here also to make for an earthy, empty glass. Again, I wish these flavors had been more prominent on the palate.

WORTH THE PRICE?

At $70 USD (in 2019, mind you), I think this is maybe priced just a little high. This is easily $50, and I’d gladly pay $60 because I like the flavor profile. I don’t regret this bottle in the collection, and I am looking forward to another pour, but I don’t think I’ll lament too much when it’s gone. And I don’t think I’ll lament at all that I can’t find another bottle out on the market. It’s worth it, but just barely. I’m glad I got to try this limited bottle, and it’s the fact that it’s limited that allows me to say it’s worth the price. If this was regularly on the shelves, I don’t think I’d feel the need to keep it on hand in the bunker.

MAKER’S MARK RC6 BOURBON REVIEW RATING: 85/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 85/100 to access other whiskeys with this rating.
To access other whiskies from this distillery, click Maker’s Mark.

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Maker’s Mark RC6 Bourbon

Posted on 09-October-202129-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s Maker’s Mark RC6 Bourbon Review:

reviewed 05-October-2021

MAKER’S MARK RC6 REVIEW:

This bottle of Maker’s Mark RC6 (Maker’s RC6) has been lurking in the bunker for a couple of years. Highly touted by many bourbon pundits, RC6 was Maker’s Mark’s first widely distributed Wood Finishing Series offering, albeit from a limited number of available barrels. With the addition of the latest in the series, it is time to review Maker’s RC6.

The nose of RC6 is inviting with herbal notes light fruit, spice and sweet all balanced with a slight woodiness. Its aroma makes me salivate. Once the mouth acclimates to the heat, herbal undertones, faint Maraschino cherries and bitter citrus zest blend with spices of cinnamon, ginger and black pepper. But the sweetness sensed on the nose is nearly gone. This is a woody, medium finish bourbon.

MAKER’S MARK RC6 VITAL STATS:

Category: Wheated Whiskey, Wood Finishing Series
Region: Loretto, Ky
Distillery: Maker’s Mark
Mashbill: 70% corn; 16% soft red winter wheat; 14% malted barley
Barrel Char: unpublished
Barrel Proof: 110
Age: nas (believed to be about 6 years old)
ABV: 54.1% (108.2 Proof)
Purchase Price: $69.95 USD (2019 – Idaho)

For RC6, released in 2019, Maker’s Mark expanded it’s Maker’s Mark 46 methods using 10 staves of American oak, seasoned by exposure to the elements for 18 months. The staves were then toasted in a convection oven. The distillery released just 255 barrels of RC6; there’s wasn’t much to go around.

Click Maker’s Mark for more Wood Finishing Series information.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

Alternate pours, equaling about four ounces, were added into two Glencairns. My daughter and I enjoyed the bourbon neat for this review.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

MAKER’S MARK RC6 NOSE:

At first waft, Maker’s RC6 presents with a fair amount of ethanol. In fact, it nips at the nose before light fruit tree blossoms and herbal notes of roasted field corn and drying wheat are detected. There are aromas of sweet cherries and faint peaches as well as acidic notes of an unexpected chocolate covered citrus fruit. I also picked up spices of ginger and white pepper and fresh wheat bread dusted with cocoa powder. The aromas work well as they mix with sweets of rich vanilla custard, simple syrup, caramelized sugar, and honeycomb. Then come the woody elements of roasted pinenuts, light sweet oak, and hazy toasted wood. While the nose is simple and earthy, the aroma makes me salivate.

MAKER’S MARK RC6 PALATE:

Upon taking the first sip, Maker’s RC6 has a pretty healthy alcohol bite. Once the mouth acclimates, herbal undertones, faint Maraschino cherries and bitter citrus zest blend with spices of cinnamon, ginger and black pepper. But the sweetness sensed on the nose is faint as bittersweet cocoa, faint light molasses seem to fade over the tongue. Unfortunately (for me) the whiskey seems bitter and woody as undefined nuts, dry seasoned oak and hazy and pungent barrel char leave behind an almost musty but citrusy aftertaste.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
For me, Maker’s RC6 is both unusual and unbalanced. It is at first creamy then it gets rough and gritty on the tongue when held. In the Glencairn long thin legs return the dregs of each sip back to the tawny colored pool leaving behind a fast falling droplet crown.

MAKER’S MARK RC6 FINISH:

Maker’s Mark RC6 has a medium finish and provides a slight burn at the back of the palate and throat. Like sensed in the mouth it is herbal, and peppery. Its bitterness lingers as fire roasted corn, bittersweet chocolate, nearly burnt caramelized sugar, and hazelnuts. I also get strong woodiness as dry seasoned old oak and barrel char dominate. And when the last drops are gone, faint alcohol and musty oak can be easily drawn from the empty Glencairn

MY RATING: 85/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
The Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series is something I will always purchase regardless of the rating of the last release.
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

Click 85/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this distillery, click Maker’s Mark.

WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:

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A Slow Pour – Time Capsules

Posted on 06-October-202106-October-2021 by whiskeyfortheages

Hello, sippers! It has been some time since I posted an installment to this series, where we just sit with a glass of a favorite and chat about anything and everything. Go get yourself a healthy pour, because we are getting thoughtful with today’s Slow Pour, “Time Capsules!” And let me know what you’re sipping in the comments! I’ve got some Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch C919, myself.

For the past several weeks, I have had a whiskey thought dancing around in my head: the impact of atmosphere on whiskey and how we think about that impact. Hopefully, most of the time, you’re left with a good impression of your first pour of something. And hopefully that carries to the next pour of that same bottle. But that doesn’t always happen. Sometimes that good impression gets tarnished the next time we have a dram. It’s how we think about those moments and how they come to be “tarnished” that I’m interested in. And is that word “tarnished” truly appropriate?

“How-Did-We-Miss-You” Bottles

I think we can all agree on how the story usually starts. I know sometimes, Dad and I come home with a bottle to review, and we immediately love it. Or there are times when we crack open a bottle for the first time with company. Maybe it’s around a campfire, or it’s with family we haven’t seen for a while. Maybe it’s a brand new experience.

The point is, we open a bottle, and we love it. It’s everything we could ever dream of a whiskey being. It’s warm. Complex. Affordable. Available. It’s a “How did we miss you?” kind of bottle. We rush to the liquor store the next day or next weekend, and we find the Holy Grail bottle (and let’s be honest – we grab two).

We crack open the bottle and pour whatever it is, prepared to be wowed again.

And then we’re not.

And actually, we’re really not. Suddenly, this bottle that was so perfect before, is mediocre, if not downright terrible and unpalatable.

So, what happened?

The People Influence

I’m sure many of our fellow sippers here already know the answer. It’s the company. And many of you, again, likely know this is always one our biggest talking points. Dad and I are fortunate to be in a position where, not only can we enjoy each other’s company during reviews, there are other people in our circle who drink whiskey as well. (In fact, I daresay, we’ve introduced the spirit to many of our friends and family just for others to talk to!)

As whiskey drinkers, and editors of this blog, we love sharing our knowledge on it. But truly, we love enjoying pours with people the most. And as such, we find it relatively easy to get caught up in the laughs and the moment. New whiskey tastes a bit brighter and better than perhaps it does when we find and bring it home.

Now, believe it or not, but I actually have mixed feelings on this cold reality. If you had asked me at the beginning of the summer about this, I likely would have had a few disappointed choice words. However, this summer, I had a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And it’s amazing what those can do to soften hard “no’s” and edges.

The Memory Influence

This summer, our family laid my grandfather to rest in his hometown in Wisconsin, where he lived all of his life. It was an emotional time, and to be quite frank, the pandemic had not made any of the process easy on anyone. Regardless, we made our goodbyes, and the people who could be there, were.

As my dad discusses in We May Never Pass This Way Again, we found ourselves talking whiskey at the family cabin with relatives and friends everywhere. It was truly an incredible moment.

And the whole week we were there, we’d find ourselves sitting around the bonfire every night with whiskey in one hand, and maybe classic Wisconsin cheese or homemade bread or even s’mores in the other. We had a whole variety of bottles to choose from, and at the time, every bottle was stellar. Everything was creamy, warm, complex… and we’d stay up until after midnight enjoying ourselves and laughing with great music.

Facing Cold Reality

Fast forward to us coming back home to Idaho and picking up our reviewing schedule again. Dad and I (and my sister on several occasions) would end up referencing back to that bonfire and the family with almost every review or casual pour we did. Three months later, and we still do.

Eventually we got around to reviewing a bottle we had back in Wisconsin, the Old Scout Smooth Ambler Boise Whiskey Enthusiasts Private Pick. We had brought a bottle out with us for the trip because it was unique (both in vitals and the fact that it was a private pick). Not to mention, it was new to our collection too.

And I had loved that bourbon while in Wisconsin. While I hadn’t poured it every night that we were there, I did partake in several glasses over the course of the week.

But now, coming to the long-awaited review, I sit down… and I find I don’t like it. The shock and initial disappointment I had over this fact had me confused and even frustrated with myself. This bourbon had memories! It was with me and my family for an important event! An event I can’t ever truly go back to, even! And it was one of the most unique bourbons in our collection! I was supposed to love this, not feel that it had been tarnished! (The fact that Dad still did love it, only made matters worse and left me more lost.)

So… I did the review how I saw the bourbon in that moment. And even revisiting this review for the sake of this Slow Pour, I can even see my confusion in my words. And I intend to leave it that way.

Contented Acceptance

The longer I sat with my inner frustrations, however, (aka weeks), the more I realized that it was exactly for those aforementioned reasons that it was alright that I didn’t like the bottle now. The bottle did have memories, and it was a bourbon that I had enjoyed with my family. And now, because I don’t care for the bourbon much, it’s unlikely to get new memories tacked onto it, and my experience with it will be confined to that singular week with my family. And it shouldn’t be a surprise that my setting for it is very reminiscent of the birdhouses surrounding the cabin either.

In essence Smooth Ambler has become a time capsule. It’s a week’s worth of memories in a bottle, and its label I will always get to associate solely with that time. Nothing else can change the magnitude of what that bottle carried.

And I actually find that incredibly special. Do I wish I still enjoyed it? Of course I do. I’d love to be taken back to the bonfire on every pour. But surprisingly, when I open up our bunker to grab a casual pour of the day, and I see Smooth Ambler there… I am taken back. Every time. It looks the same as it did on top of the plates/bowls cabinet at the family cabin. It looks how it did on the tiny kitchen island counter during our massive tasting party Dad references in his article. I can see the birdhouses outside the cabin that I’d look at while sipping this. It’s a time capsule bourbon that I’ve never experienced the likes of before. And I’ll likely even keep the empty bottle once Dad finishes it.

Photo by Johnny Brewer on Unsplash

In Summary, I’m Redefining Things

So long story short (I suppose this is one of my slowest pours of this series), maybe we need to rethink how we revisit bottles that end up being not so great. Is it only a loss? Are they only “tarnished”? – to return to my question at the start of this slow pour. Or, can we call it a learning experience? Can we call it a time capsule of a different time when everything was great? Can we call those bottles the true pause buttons we look for and enjoy when we drink whiskey?

In any case, I think that’s how I am going to choose to look at them from now on.

So I won’t ask if you have any whiskeys that got “tarnished” from one pour to the next. Instead, I think I’ll ask, do you have any Time Capsule Whiskeys? What are they? Click the ..LEAVE A REPLY.. button in the field below if you’d care to share.

A Slow Pour – Time Capsules

written by Hannah Dawson

Whiskey for the Ages editor

Others in the Slow Pour Series:
A Slow Pour – Time to Relax
A Slow Pour – The Empty Bottle

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