Brian’s Maker’s Mark FAE-01 Bourbon
reviewed 12-October-2012
MAKER’S MARK FAE-01 BOURBON REVIEW:
Maker’s Mark FAE-01 (Maker’s FAE-01) is a nice bourbon. Its nose sets the stage … woody, but with a few fruits and spices which allow its brown sugar to pass to the palate and finish. I like this whiskey and will enjoy the rest of the bottle.
MAKER’S MARK FAE-01 BOURBON VITAL STATS:
Category: Straight Bourbon Finished with Oak Staves
Region: Loretto, KY
Company: Beam Suntory
Distillery: Maker’s Mark
Mash Bill: 70% Corn, 16% Wheat, 14% Malted Barley
Barrel Char: unpublished
Barrel entry proof: 110
Age: nas
Non-chill filtered
ABV: 55.3% (110.6 Proof)
Release Date: March 2021
Price: $59.95 (Idaho, 2021)
For FAE-01, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Bourbon is finished by adding ten American oak staves to the aged barrel. Prior to entry, the staves were toasted on one side, and left raw on the other. The finishing staves impart a strong wood influence and brings a deeper complexity to the traditional cask strength bourbon.
The name FAE-01 (while resembling a license plate number) is actually a nod to the Fatty Acid Esters created during the distillation and Non-chill-filtering processes.
“Our third limited release from the Maker’s Mark® Wood Finishing Series joins our previous years’ expressions in honoring our signature bourbon … We like to say it tastes exactly how our barrel warehouse smells, with rich figgy notes complemented by tobacco undertones and a pleasantly dank woodiness.”
— Maker’s Mark
Click Maker’s Mark to learn more.
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 FAE-01 NOSE:
Maker’s FAE-01 nips at the nose with a bit of ethanol at first waft. But its woodiness is most dominant as I continue nosing. I feel as though I’m in the forest during harvest as strong fresh cut oak springs from the glass. Then the wood goes to the cooperage and becomes toasted. I smell smoky sweet oak and hazy barrel char. Continued nosing brings blossoming fruit trees, roasted corn and ripe wheat fields ready for cutting. FAE-01’s fruits and spices are scant, just a few Maraschino cherries and plump red gourmet raisins mixed with powdered ginger and white pepper. But oh the sweets … Rich vanilla and buttery, brown sugar caramel. This bourbon smells like a confectionery workshop.
MAKER’S MARK FAE-01 PALATE:
Maker’s FAE-01 has a warm bite when first sipped, but the heat diminishes quickly. It is strongly herbal and wheaty with only a single component of fruit which comes in as sweet cherry juice. But baking spices of cinnamon, pepper and brine over slightly toasted wheat bread provide a springboard for the sweetness of woody brown sugar caramel and almond toffee to shine. And while the nose was quite woody, I taste sweet oak, toasted wood and barrel char. The taste of FAE-01 is quite simple.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
The aromas and flavors of Maker’s FAE-01 are well blended. There is a slight tickle on the tongue when first held, but it fades quickly into a buttery and viscous nectar. After each sip, irregularly spaced fat legs transport the dregs to the tawny pool leaving behind an oddly spaced large drop crown.
MAKER’S MARK FAE-01 FINISH:
Maker’s Mark FAE-01 has a warm and wheaty medium finish. I feel swallowed cherry juice in my throat along with a dusting of cinnamon and rich vanilla. The finish has plenty of sweetness which presents as buttery, brown sugared caramel toffee. And like the palate, the woodiness is slight, just toasted barrel char. As the dram is downed sweet oak and a little brown sugar wafts from the empty Glencairn.
MY RATING: 90/100
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 90/100 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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