Makers 46 Cask Strength Bourbon Review Archives

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:

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Barrel Char: unpublished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.

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:

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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:

– 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:

– 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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