Maker’s Mark RC6 Bourbon Review

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:
Maker's Mark RC6 Bourbon Review

– 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– Casks: unpublished char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:
Maker's Mark RC6 Bourbon Review

– 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.

Back to…

Hannah’s Whiskey Reviews
Whiskey Reviews

Maker’s Mark RC6 Bourbon

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:
Maker's Mark RC6

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.

Maker's Mark RC6

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:
Maker's Mark RC6
Maker's Mark RC6

Back to …

Brian’s Whiskey Reviews
Individual Whiskey Reviews

Larceny Barrel Proof Batch B521 Review

Hannah’s Larceny Barrel Proof Batch B521 Review

Original review written August 17, 2021

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

I had this on a trip during the summer of 2021, and I am happy to report that the love I developed for Larceny B521 has definitely extended beyond the trip. This glass is warm, rich, and all things comforting. Another very good offering from Larceny Barrel Proof Batches. 92/100

VITALS:
Larceny Barrel Proof Batch B521 Review

– Made In: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Heaven Hill Distillery
– Classification: Wheated Bourbon; Small Batch
– Age: nas (Heaven Hill states batches will contain six to eight year old bourbon)
– Mash Bill: Corn=68%; Wheat=20%; Malted Barley=12%
– Casks: Char #3
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– ABV: 60.5% (121 proof)
– Price: $49.95 USD in Idaho, 2021

For more information, visit heavenhill.com

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

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

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

I imagine sitting in a old train station, with echoing chatter and yellow glowing light illuminating a marble floor beneath the feet. Whether you’re waiting for someone to arrive, or waiting for your own train to depart, Larceny Barrel Proof Batch B521 is the company you are looking for.

Photo by Ugur Akdemir on Unsplash

NOSE:

Sweet barrel char blooms out of the glass first, with hints of chocolate-coated almonds, vanilla, and gingerbread. There is also a maple quality to this that mingles with floral notes that are almost reminiscent of rose petals. A deep berry jam is present, but it isn’t quite identifiable as to what berry it is. I find old leather and the main grain, corn on large inhales along with a little bit of white pepper. The aforementioned char definitely carries all of these complex flavors very well without being overwhelmingly woody. It is noticeable, but it doesn’t steal the show, rather enhances all of the aromas. Overall, this smells rich, deep and sweet in a more sugary way rather than fruity.

PALATE:
Larceny Barrel Proof Batch B521 Review

– Mouth Feel: This has a very velvety mouth feel, with just the right amount of texture and the slightest hint of a tickle at the back of the palate.
– Balance: Well-balanced. The oak is there, along with sugary sweetness and fruit sweetness. I might enjoy a bit more spice, but this is still a really well-blended bourbon.
– Visual: Auburn in color, this has many thick legs that drop fairly quickly, but a crown does remain.

– Taste: As perhaps as cliché as it sounds, this just tastes warm. This is sweet, with a plum syrup richness and allspice sprinkling to make it interesting. There is a touch of bitterness at the back of the palate that reminds me of walnuts; despite however bitter any particular sip is, it remains very buttery. The alcohol is mild and really only felt on the swallow, and even then remains as a pleasant tickle rather than burning. Letting it just sit on the tongue however, lets the syrup qualities continue to emerge and grow in complexity. There is maple here and maybe a little bit of caramel. And all of these flavors are given the smallest dusting of citrus zest, likely orange.

A Kentucky chew wakes up a new leather, a bit of pear juice and maybe even some white peaches (I’m thinking around the flesh just under the peach fuzz). The alcohol flames up for just a moment before mellowing quickly to give way to these flavors. The oak emerges a bit more here also, coming across as wood chips soaked in water for a while before becoming almost chewable.

I find this bourbon very rich and flavorful, and I am happy for the fruit presence on the palate when it was slightly hidden on the nose.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Medium. Some heat lingers on the occasional sip, and a mild flavor sticks around the longest.
– Between Sips: A mild oak remains between sips, again- very much in a wood chip capacity.

– No More: A sweet and warm sawdust oak can be found in the empty glass after finishing a very consistent pour. There is a touch of nuttiness, but the oak certainly dominates.

WORTH THE PRICE?

The Larceny Barrel Proof line continues to impress, and at $50 USD, I consider Batch B521 an absolute steal. When I think of pours that are quintessentially bourbon, this one certainly fits the bill. If you find the opportunity to purchase, I definitely recommend.

LARCENY BARREL PROOF BATCH B521 REVIEW RATING: 92/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 92/100 to access other whiskeys with this rating.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Larceny.

Back to…

Hannah’s Whiskey Reviews
Whiskey Reviews