Hannah’s Maker’s Mark Private Select ID Director’s Cut Batch #4 Review
Original review written on October 15, 2020
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
Maker’s Mark Private Select ID Director’s Cut Batch #4 Review: Sweet and mellow, as is standard with Maker’s, this is enjoyable to those who like floral notes. This is a good offering, but I wish there was a bit more complexity to be found. 84/100
VITALS:
– Made In: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Maker’s Mark Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Private Select
– Age: nas (other Director’s Cuts have been approximately 8 yrs in age)
– Mash Bill: Corn=70%; Soft red winter wheat=16%; Malted barley=14%
– Casks: Char #3
– Barrel Entry Proof: 110
– ABV: 53.5% (107 proof)
– MMPS ID-DCB4 finishing staves:
3 Seared French Cuvée (Cu) – adds roasted/toasted oak and caramel
3 Maker’s Mark 46 (46) – adds dried fruit, vanilla, and spice
2 Roasted French Mocha (Mo) – adds char, maple, and cacao
1 Baked American Pure (P2) – adds sweet brown vanilla, caramel, and brown spice
1 Toasted French Spice (Sp) – adds smoke, coumarin and spice
– Stave Selectors: Idaho State Liquor Division
– Price: $69.95 USD in Idaho
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ENJOYMENT METHOD:
I enjoyed the juice neat with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.
Check out his review for this bourbon here!
SETTING:
Batch #4, while good, has an aura of affluence – so much so, that I could easily see sipping some of this in an upper class restaurant, where the seats are leather and sophisticated. The seating and atmosphere may be dark in nature, but the sweetness and lightness of #4 make everything meld together nicely.
Photo by Souranshi Magazine on Unsplash
NOSE:
Mild, with dried fruit, particularly raisins, come forth the strongest for me on the initial inhale. Behind that, I find brown sugar, soft vanilla, and a small hint of cinnamon and maple. While these seem dark, this is still a mild pour, tempered likely by the wheat and barley of the mash bill. I can also find a soft oak that keeps things mellow, yet warm. There is a toasted nut element, but I can’t quite make out what it is specifically, but it pairs well with a toffee.
Somewhere in here is a sweet bread bun with a simple syrup/honey glaze brushed over the top. I really like this gentle, yeasty component; it adds a layer of complexity to the nose, for sure.
PALATE:
– Mouth Feel: Oily, with little grip… maybe even creamy.
– Balance: Decent. Flower sticks out, but doesn’t overpower the other flavors.
– Visual: Honey in color, there is a lingering crown with slow-dropping, fat legs.
– Taste: On the first sip, I get a mix of maraschino cherry, while also a cool freshness of an herbal note. It’s certainly floral, with a rose-like blossom and light fruit too. It’s sweet, but not approaching sickly sweet, which is nice.
Not much in the way of spice, except maybe a dash of cinnamon. I get a sense of pear, mixing with light vanilla and a little brown sugar/caramel.
The yeasty bread is gone, along with the nuts. The oak, however, remains, but it tastes and feels like it’s been soaked in water, and I could chew the wood chips contentedly.
I pushed this one around HARD with a Kentucky chew, only feeling the burn after about 10 seconds. What comes of it is a very floral apple blossom, with a hint of cherry. Otherwise, the alcohol on this is VERY mild and unlikely to burn an experienced whiskey drinker.
I realize I noted that the nose was mellow, but this palate is INCREDIBLY mellow, with little for me to grip onto and not a lot of richness or complexity. It’s good, but not great. (Remember, I like bold and dark profiles – this could very easily be phenomenal to those who lean to floral notes.)
FINISH:
– Lasting Power: Long. While the warmth stays only in the mouth and throat, the flavor lingers.
– Between Sips: I feel like I’m chewing on a rose petal, or maybe a flower of slightly less intensity. Hint of vanilla and not-quite-ripe pear accompany the flower petals.
– No More: It feels sweet the further I get into the glass – note that I said FEELS. Everything about this screams floral – ALMOST too floral. I feel as though if the palate/taste could be turned into a perfume, I’d very likely get a headache.
The empty Glencairn is an oak that WANTS to be spicy, but doesn’t quite make it all the way there. I wish I could say the floral heaviness dissipated, but it just didn’t.
WORTH THE PRICE?
At $70 USD, this seems like a big ask for those who like the bolder flavors. Out of the Director’s Cuts that I’ve enjoyed (Batches 3, 5, 6, and 7), Batch #4 is definitely my least favorite, and I recommend spending the $70 on a different batch.
RATING: 84/100
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