Makers Mark FAE-02 Review Archives – Whiskey for the Ages

Brian’s Maker’s Mark FAE-02 Bourbon Review:

reviewed 16-October-2021

MAKER’S MARK FAE-02 BOURBON REVIEW:

The fall 2021 Wood Finishing Series release, Maker’s Mark FAE-02 (Maker’s FAE-02) is a fine bourbon and in my opinion, the best of the four bottle series to date. The flora, spice and sweet aromas pass to the palate and finish. There is just enough bitterness in the flavors to counter the sweet and while not strong, the pleasant woodiness allows all the flavors to shine. Maybe the best feature of FAE-02 is its mouthfeel – this whiskey begs to be held.

MAKER’S MARK FAE-02 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Barrel Char: unpublished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: 54.55% (109.1 Proof)
Release Date: Fall 2021
Price: $69.95

FAE-02 is the second wood finishing expression of 2021. While all the labels in the series resemble license plate numbers, the letters ‘FAE’ reference the Fatty Acid Esters retained during the distillation and aging process as elements of barrel char help boost fruity and other sweet notes.

_{FAE-02 staves are French Oak that [are] double heat-treated – with infrared, then a flame finish. The infrared creates furans (or caramel flavor). The flame finish balances the caramel with lignin (vanilla).}
^{— Maker’s Mark}

Click Maker’s Mark FAE-02 to learn more.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

Alternate amounts, equaling about four ounces, were poured 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-02 NOSE:

The nose of Maker’s FAE-02 offers little if any alcohol heat even with heavy draws. There are plenty of herbal notes of fruit tree blossoms and wheat and an unexpected blend of blueberry, fresh sliced apple, and banana. Continued nosing brings allspice and faint cinnamon, buttery but unbaked graham cracker pie crust and candy-like vanilla taffy. I also sense additional sweets of buttery brown sugar caramel, and pecan toffee. While these aromas are easy to pull, this is a simple and gentle bourbon grounded in new, fresh cut oak and toasted wood.

MAKER’S MARK FAE-02 PALATE:

Maker’s FAE-02 drinks quite warm and has an almost hot tickle of herbal fruit tree blossoms floating over fields of wheat. There is also an interesting stone fruit nectar of apricot and plum (plucots). The fruit mixes spices of cinnamon, ginger, and black pepper and sweets of brown, sugared pastry, vanilla custard, buttery caramel, and maple syrup in a pleasing compote. All this sweetness is countered by slightly bitter hazelnuts which help to balance toasted wood and light barrel char. This is a great pour.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Maker’s FAE-02 is a gentle well blended bourbon which gives the tongue a manageable tickle when the first sip is held. The mouthful is creamy and when acclimated, the liquid becomes quite viscous. FAE-02 has a such a wonderful mouth feel, I find myself holding and swallowing rather than tasting. After each sip, long clinging legs break from the veil returning the dregs to the auburn pool. The remaining crown thins as any drops left behind break quickly and fade away.

MAKER’S MARK FAE-02 FINISH:

Maker’s Mark FAE-02 has a warm herbal and wheaty medium long finish. As I swallow, I feel the sensation of tart cherry juice blended with nutmeg and pepper slide down my throat. I also perceive sugared and baked pie crust, light vanilla, and caramel enjoyed from a lightly charred oak bowl. And when the last dram is downed, light alcohol, sweet vanilla, caramel, and old toasted oak can be drawn from the empty Glencairn.

MY RATING: 91/100

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 91/100 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 Mark FAE-02 Bourbon Review

Original review written October 16, 2021

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

The balance and blend of FAE-02 is absolutely spectacular, and may even be one of the best blends I have ever tasted. A bit of everything for everyone- I’m confident I’ll get another bottle. 94/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Loretto, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Maker’s Mark Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Wheated Whiskey; Wood Finishing Series
– Age: nas
– Mash Bill: Corn=70%; Soft red winter wheat=16%; Malted Barley=14%
– Casks: unpublished char
– Non-chill filtered
– Barrel Entry Proof: 110
– ABV: 54.55% (109.1 proof)
– Price: $69.95 USD in Idaho (2021)

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

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

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

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

FAE-02 would be a great bourbon to have with you when looking at colorful, Christmas lights out in the neighborhood. All of the colors – even with the cold – match the personality of this bourbon while warming you enough to combat the freezing air. It’s a glass full of happiness, richness, and good times. For me, that’s going out at the holidays to look at decorations amidst the snow, and maybe even with a carol on the lips.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

NOSE:

I find the wheat of the mash bill sweetened by vanilla and caramel on the first inhale. With it, is a light brown sugar and butterscotch for sweetness. I also find an old leather and rich barrel char that is almost – but not quite – smoky. Spice continues along with the baking theme and seems most like cinnamon, but there could be a few stray peppercorns as well. I can’t identify too many fruits on this nose, aside from a stray bright apple-y note and strangely enough, raisins. And when I say raisins, it’s more akin to that familiar red carton raisin, than fresh raisins you’re going to find in a grocery store.

There’s a bit of a nip of alcohol here, and deep inhales burn slightly, but even soft inhales can give you a sting every now and then. While this nose isn’t entirely complex, it’s still rich and warm, and I’m very excited to give it a try.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: This is really a lot like velvet in the mouth. It’s soft as it just sits, waiting to be enjoyed, but it has texture once you roll it around a little, which I really love.
– Balance: Fantastic. I think you get a bit of everything in this pour. The spice backs up the sweet, and the bitter prevents either from becoming too forward. Just a really well-blended bourbon that is fun.
– Visual: Auburn in color, there are many fast-dropping, thick legs that fall from a thin crown. The crown turns quickly to solely a thin ring, but it does linger for a moment.

– Taste: Warm, baking spices come across the palate first like allspice and clove being particularly potent. There’s a bitter, nutty element at the back of the sip, perhaps like hazelnuts. Nevertheless, there is still sweetness to be found, with light vanilla, an angel food cake component (with fluffiness to match), and simple syrup. There’s a bit more cherry here also, and a deep version of fruit cup syrup. I can taste the richness of the green grapes in said syrup quite well.

The essence of oak is here rather than being any kind of bold, but it does its job well binding flavors together. The alcohol has just the right amount of kick to be interesting, but it isn’t what I would call overwhelming at all. When I partake in a Kentucky chew, the bitterness of the hazelnuts comes back along with some of those wrinkled green grapes – sans fruit cup syrup this time.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Long. The warmth tickles at the back of the throat, and I get some flavor sticking around on top of that.
– Between Sips: The bitter hazelnuts sit with me the most between sips, with a hint of caramel as well.

– No More: Rich and consistent the further into the glass I get, and with this pour, that isn’t a bad thing at all. I love this and am quite content that it’s stayed this good throughout.

The empty Glencairn is a sweet, seasoned oak. A hint of caramel left to top off this great pour.

WORTH THE PRICE?

$70 is indeed a lot, but if any of the Wood Finishing Series were going to be worth this number, I do think it would be FAE-02. The balance alone makes for such a treat, and the flavors are ones that practically anyone can thoroughly enjoy. I might be buying another. And if you can find this, you should buy it too.

MAKER’S MARK FAE-02 BOURBON 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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