Hannah’s Maker’s Mark Private Select ID Director’s Cut Batch #7 Review
Original review written January 21, 2020
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
Out of the three Idaho Batches I’ve had of Maker’s, this one is my second favorite for its intense warmth and dark fruity flavors. Read my full Maker’s Mark Private Select ID Director’s Cut Batch #7 Review here! 92/100
VITALS:
– Made In: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Maker’s Mark Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
– Age: 8 yrs. 9 weeks
– Mash Bill: Corn=70%; Soft red winter wheat=16%; Malted barley=14%
– Casks: Char #3
– Barrel Entry Proof: 110
– ABV: 54.3% (108.6 proof)
– Maker’s Mark Private Select Idaho Division Cut Batch #7 MMPS ID-DCB7 finishing staves:
4 Baked American Pure (P2) to provide brown sugar, vanilla, caramel and spice
3 Roasted French Mocha (Mo) to provide char, maple and cacao
2 Maker’s Mark 46 (46) to provide dried fruit, vanilla and spice
1 Seared French Cuvée (Cu) to provide toasty oak and caramel
0 Toasted French Spice (Sp)
– Stave Selectors: The Idaho State Liquor Division and Chris Bailey of “The Whiskey Bar” in Boise, Idaho, USA
– Price: $69.95 USD in Idaho
Visit makersmark.com for more information
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.
Check out his review for this bourbon here!
SETTING:
I imagine waking up with this bourbon and walking outside to recline on a slightly chilled, sandy beach as the sun comes up. With a salty breeze and soothing pastel colors, Batch #7 warms the soul and starts your day with a smile.
Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash
NOSE:
Rich oak erupts from the warming glass, along with a dusting of brown sugar. There’s some nutmeg, but it’s pretty minimal. Deep inhales grant a deep vanilla custard and dark, but sweet cherries.
Sweetness just continues to pour from the glass with maple candies making a sudden appearance and maybe a hint of apple, but that is so subtle, it’s hard to get it to last in the nose, but it does make for an elusive freshness.
There isn’t a strong alcohol presence, despite being more than 50% ABV.
PALATE:
– Mouth Feel: A rough texture that clings to my tongue – very nice.
– Balance: Maybe the flavors and blend are a bit simple, but it’s executed very well.
– Visual: Mahogany in color, there are fat legs that cling to the glass after vanishing and then reappearing just under the crown.
– Taste: The spice opens up a bit more on the first sip, now being black pepper.
Apples come out as well, powdered brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon on top with some caramel that is almost burnt. Dark cherries are here too, mixing with its lighter cherry cousin, the maraschino. Both are very juicy and sweet, combining well with the spices.
The oak is still here too, but it comes across as a sawdust.
The alcohol is stronger here in the palate too, but it still isn’t very aggressive aside from a tickle at the back of the throat.
With a Kentucky chew, black pepper, maraschino cherries and a feisty bourbon burn come into play, all of which make me smile.
FINISH:
– Lasting Power: Very long. The warmth from this bourbon is fairly strong, settling mostly in the mouth and throat, but I find it at the top of my chest too.
– Between Sips: Light cherries and oak shavings fill my palate as I pause before taking another sip, and such flavors continue to linger and linger.
– No More: This one calms down the more it breathes, but it is still warm – the cherries and the oak blending together very well that they are harder to distinguish. There is a growing wheat component as well, perhaps the cause of the mellowing taste overall.
The empty Glencairn presents with the cherry and oak staying side-by-side to the very end, with a sweet warmth permeating from the glass.
WORTH THE PRICE?
Yes. The fact that all batches reviewed were made for Idaho by Idaho State Liquor Division just makes them more special to me. Though Batch #7 is hard to find, I’d buy again.
RATING: 92/100
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To access other whiskies from this distillery, click Maker’s Mark.
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