Maker’s 46 Cask Strength

Brian’s Maker’s 46 Cask Strength Review:

reviewed on 12-April-2022

MAKER’S 46 CASK STRENGTH BOURBON REVIEW:

Maker’s 46 Cask Strength (Maker’s 46 CS) is a fine bourbon and one I hope Maker’s Mark decides to continue marketing. Well balanced aromas and flavors of barrel tannins, fruit, spice, and woody caramel, with seasoned toasted oak and leather pass to the finish. This is good stuff.

MAKER’S 46 CASK STRENGTH VITAL STATS:
Maker's 46 Cask Strength

Category: Wheated Bourbon
Company: Beam Suntory
Region: Loretto, KY
Distiller: Maker’s Mark
Mashbill: 70% corn; 16% soft red winter wheat; 14% malted barley
Barrel Char: unpublished
Barrel Entry Proof: 110 (lower than most whiskies to prevent alcohol from overwhelming the taste.)
Age: nas (believed to be 5-7 years)
ABV: 54.8% (109.6 Proof)
NABCA CSC #: 19481
Price: $59.95 (2022 in Idaho, purchased in 2021)

Learn more at Maker’s Mark 46®.

ENJOYMENT METHOD FOR THE REVIEW:

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 46 CASK STRENGTH NOSE:

The first whiff of Maker’s 46 CS gives my nose an alcohol bite along with some faint barrel tannin. I sense a potpourri of herbal dried blossoms, some sweet corn, and a distinct wheatiness. Then comes apricot nectar, fresh apples, plums, and an unusual aroma of yeasty orange marmalade mixed in light cinnamon and faint crushed clove. The sweets first come in as vanilla custard, then as simple syrup, woody caramel, and pinenuts drizzled with dark honey. I also smell light seasoned dry oak, hazy toasted wood, and smoky-sweet old leather.

MAKER’S 46 CASK STRENGTH PALATE:

The first sip of Maker’s 46 CS is full of alcohol warmth and like the sensed on the nose, I experience the barrel tannins. The liquid is herbal and wheaty and I taste fresh but faint apple cider, currants, and raisins along with some bitter citrus here too. Blended in each sip, spices of black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, mix with cookie dough and rich vanilla. These warm flavors serve and enhance the sweet brown sugar, woody caramel, dark honey, and some dark chocolate covered toffee. And while there is not a lot of woodiness in each sip, I do get air-dried seasoned oak and hazy barrel char bound by faint leather.

Maker's 46 Cask Strength

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Maker’s 46 CS is creamy, viscous, and easy to hold. It does give the tongue a little tingle, but this is a well balanced bourbon as many of the flavors pass from the nose to the palate and on through the finish. As I take each sip, long clinging legs give way to fat droplets, returning the liquid back to the auburn pool leaving behind a distinct crown.

MAKER’S 46 CASK STRENGTH FINISH:

Maker’s 46 Cask Strength offers a medium long and warm finish. My mouth feels the influence of the barrel as flavors of currant, raisin and pepper fades. The cookie dough, now with chocolate nibs, and a sliver of wheat toast, peeks in then fades into burnt sugar, woody caramel, some seasoned oak, toasted wood, and barrel char. When the last drops are gone, the empty Glencairn smells of warm vanilla, moist sawdust and soft leather.

MY RATING: 89/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.

Click 89/100 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 46 Cask Strength
Maker's 46 Cask Strength

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Maker’s 46 Cask Strength Review

Hannah’s Maker’s 46 Cask Strength Review

Original review written April 12, 2022

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

This one is another home run for the Maker’s line, and certainly better than the original Maker’s 46 (which isn’t bad at all). Dark, rich, and warm, who could ask for anything more? 94/100

VITALS:
Maker's 46 Cask Strength Review

– Made In: Loretto, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Maker’s Mark Distillery
– Classification: Wheated Bourbon
– Age: nas (believed to be 5-7 yrs.)
– Mash Bill: Corn=70%; Soft red winter wheat=16%; Malted Barley=14%
– Casks: unpublished char
– Barrel Entry Proof: 110
– ABV: 54.8% (109.6 proof)
– Price: $59.95 USD in Idaho 2022

Visit makersmark.com for more information on the wood staves used for this bourbon

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 of this bourbon here!

SETTING:

Believe it or not, I imagine enjoying this bourbon in a warehouse. It may be full of activity and the bustle of things to do, or it may be empty, full of possibility and room to explore. Either way, I think Maker’s 46 Cask Strength will keep your palate warm and your mind open as you look out at the little empire carved out just for you.

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

NOSE:

Cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, and dark vanilla cross the nose first – all classic Maker’s tells. I also find ripe apples sprinkled in dark brown sugar, begging to be baked in a pie, or at least cooked to lay over some vanilla ice cream. There’s new oak, roasted chestnuts (again with a brown sugar glaze), and a bit of molasses to give this sweet bourbon a darker, sturdier foundation. The alcohol isn’t particularly aggressive, though deeper inhales do give a slight sting to the nose, all the same. This bourbon overall, smells warm and quite rich with a lot of my favorite bourbon qualities being offered (at least here on the nose).

PALATE:
Maker's 46 Cask Strength Review

– Mouth Feel: This has a viscous mouth feel with a grip on the palate that makes it incredibly enjoyable.
– Balance: Complex. Though there’s a lot of sweetness here, everything seems grounded in the proof of the bourbon and makes everything very approachable.
– Visual: Auburn in color, this leaves thick legs and plenty of clinging droplets falling from an irregular crown.

– Taste: The proof makes itself more noticeable here on the palate, emerging and blending with apples, pastry, and light vanilla. There’s similar spice to what was on the nose, from cinnamon to nutmeg, as well as allspice now too. I find toasted marshmallow and cranberry fruit leather at the back of the palate, of all combinations. And strangely enough, it works – with light bittersweet knocking back some of the harsher sugary notes the marshmallow brings.

As stated, the proof is more pronounced here; however, it’s not overly strong, acting more as a way to warm the bourbon from a sensation standpoint. It’s taking me a while to be motivated to do a Kentucky chew, simply because I am enjoying this pour as it is. When I do partake in a Kentucky chew, some dark cherries and more brown sugar come forth with the burn of the alcohol.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Medium. This is warm in the throat, but there isn’t a great deal of aftertaste lingering behind.
– Between Sips: Spices like ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon linger between sips, and it’s a pleasant, warm aspect of this finish that is entirely welcome.

– No More: This only grows on me the longer I sip, and it’s a bourbon I truly find difficult to review, because I simply want to sit back and enjoy it while it’s here. The warmth grows, and the fruit of the cranberry leather and apple intensifies in the best way and makes this just so good.

The empty Glencairn is a spicy, oaky sawdust and an absolute good way to finish this glass. And this is one of those rare instances where I actually run out to grab just a bit more for the glass; I’m just not finished with this yet!

WORTH THE PRICE?

$60 is an absolute yes for this bourbon. I’d love to keep it permanently in the bunker and I’ll certainly look forward to finding this around our stores in Idaho. This ticks all the boxes for my kind of bourbon, and I’m happy to have this bottle finally open.

MAKER’S 46 CASK STRENGTH REVIEW RATING: 94/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 94/100 to access other whiskeys with this rating.
To access other whiskies from this distillery, click Maker’s Mark.

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Whiskey Reviews

Larceny Barrel Proof C921 Bourbon

Brian’s Larceny Barrel Proof C921 Bourbon Review:

reviewed 29-March-2022

LARCENY BARREL PROOF C921 BOURBON REVIEW:

In my opinion, Larceny Barrel Proof C921 (Larceny BP C921) is the best, most balanced whiskey to come out of the Heaven Hill wheated stables since Batch B520 (and I include last autumn’s 11 Year Old Fitzgerald). It is certainly the pinnacle of their 2021 offerings. Currant and plum jam aromas pass to the palate as do allspice, cinnamon, white pepper and sweet simple syrup, sugar, caramel, and toffee. But for me, it is the finish of dry seasoned and toasted oak with smoky sweet barrel char which ties this treat together.

LARCENY BARREL PROOF C921 BOURBON VITAL STATS:
Larceny Barrel Proof C921

Category: Barrel Proof Wheated Bourbon
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distillery: Heaven Hill
Mashbill: 68% Corn, 20% Wheat, 12% Barley
Barrel Char: #3
Age: nas (Heaven Hill website indicates batches contain six to eight year old bourbon)
Entry Barrel Proof: 125
ABV: 61.3% (122.6 Proof)
NABCA CSC #: 18860
Availability: Tri-anual Limited Release
Batch: C921
▪”C” Third release of the year
▪”9″ Released in September
▪”21″ Released in 2021
Price: $59.95 USD (February 2022, Idaho)

The Larceny line of Bourbon is the modern heir of our historic wheated mashbill, known behind-the-scenes at our distillery as “O.F.D.” or Old Fitzgerald Distillate.
— Heaven Hill

Learn more at Heaven Hill Distillery.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

Taken from a newly opened bottle, the first one and a half ounces topped off the bourbon in our Infinity Bottle Project. Then, by alternating pours, four once review amounts went into two Glencairns. My daughter and I enjoyed the bourbon neat for this review.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

LARCENY BARREL PROOF C921 NOSE:

The first deep waft of Larceny BP C921 gives the nose an alcohol nip with a touch of heat. Once acclimated, I sense barrel tannins, fruit tree blossoms, roasted corn and dusty wheat. Then come jammy currants and plums, a hint of dried citrus zest and some dark plump raisins. As I nose, allspice, cinnamon, white pepper mix with cocoa dust, light vanilla and sweets of simple syrup, raw sugar, caramel, and rich crushed pinenut toffee. And as I close my nosing session, seasoned, dry oak, smoky sweet barrel char and some musty leather provide a firm aromatic foundation. I love the smell and this pour begs a taste.

LARCENY BARREL PROOF C921 PALATE:

Larceny BP C921 gives the mouth a nice bite. It is herbal, with notes of roasted corn and only a notion of wheat. As sensed earlier, I taste the currant and plum jam, now enhanced with dark raisins and figs dusted with cinnamon, ginger and black pepper. There is a drizzling of rich vanilla infused with simple syrup here and I get a suggestion of raw sugar, light molasses and toasted pecans in dark toffee. These flavors are in near perfect balance with a nice dose of dry seasoned oak, some toasted wood, smoky sweet barrel char and just enough earthy dried leather. This bourbon is so good, I found it easy to savor as I made my preparation notes for the review.

Larceny Barrel Proof C921

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Larceny BP C921 is nicely blended and well balanced. The aromas pass to the palate and through to the finish. In my mouth, it is both viscous and oily even though I found it a bit challenging to hold as the liquid is aggressive and even a bit rough on my tongue. In the glass, long legs fade fast, giving way to small droplets which quickly return the dregs to the dark terracotta colored pool.

LARCENY BARREL PROOF C921 FINISH:

Larceny Barrel Proof C921 has an exceptionally long herbal finish with a surprising but welcome sensation of cooling mint and plum nectar. I feel cinnamon, ginger and pepper carry away the memory of light vanilla simple syrup, sugar, burnt caramel and dark toffee. And always the dry seasoned, toasted and heavy oak, smoky sweet barrel char and earthy leather drifts in the aftertaste. When the last drops disappear, rich musty sawdust in a splash of alcohol is easy to draw from the glass. This is a great bourbon.

MY RATING: 93/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.

Click 93/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Larceny.

WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
Larceny Barrel Proof C921
Larceny Barrel Proof C921

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