Maker’s Mark Private Select ID Director’s Cut Batch #6 Review

Hannah’s Maker’s Mark Private Select ID Director’s Cut Batch #6 Review

Original review written October 17, 2020

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Maker’s Mark Private Select ID Director’s Cut Batch #6 Review: If you are looking for the fruit and spice face-off of bourbon, any Maker’s with stave selections like Batch #6 will deliver. Each sip is full of fun and entertainment. 95/100

VITALS:
Maker's Mark Private Select ID Director's Cut Batch 6 Review

– 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-DCB6 finishing staves:
4 Baked American Pure (P2) – adds sweet brown vanilla, caramel and brown spice
3 Maker’s Mark 46 (46) – adds dried fruit, vanilla and spice
2 Roasted French Mocha (Mo) – adds char, maple and cacao
1 Toasted French Spice (Sp) – adds smoke, coumarin and spice
– Stave Selectors: Idaho State Liquor Division
– Price: $69.95 USD in Idaho

Visit makersmark.com for more information

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:

This one is so complex and warm, I really don’t think it needs anything extravagant. Have Batch #6 alone at a picnic table surrounded by quiet and a warm-enough sun. Let your thoughts and feelings wash over you in your solitude. #6 will keep you company and give you a bit of warmth to smile about.

Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

NOSE:

Initial inhales bring out seasoned dark fruit and a marshmallow sweetness. The seasoning includes cinnamon and black pepper (albeit subtle). It’s sprinkled on the fruit in such a way that the fruit may be dried, though that was not immediately apparent to me. The seasoning also contributes to a wheaty/grassy element that likely derives from the mash bill.

Deep draws coax out a dark caramel/brown sugar as well as hard oak that blend together well. Not a lot of heavy alcohol on the nose, reminding me of some of its other Maker’s siblings. However, I can easily tell that there is a greater sense of darkness in the #6 as opposed to others, and maybe more richness and complexity also.

PALATE:
Maker's Mark Private Select ID Director's Cut Batch 6 Review

– Mouth Feel: A distinct tickle that is unaggressive, yet very fun.
– Balance: For as much fruit as there is here, spice meets it sip for sip. Excellent blend.
– Visual: Tawny in color, there is a lingering crown, with fast-dropping legs of varying sizes.

– Taste: Juicy dark fruits burst forth, but they have the mouth feel of something akin to peach fuzz. Cinnamon and nutmeg add to the fruit, creating this dark, syrupy treat.

A hint of black pepper kicks in just at the back of the palate. Other fruit begin to come in with this black pepper kick – among them figs and yellow-fleshed peach. Light vanilla and caramel tickle the tip of the tongue, helping to make every aspect of the palate light up.

Somehow, floating in and around these flavors is a cherry blossom perfume, mixed with a sturdy oak barrel char that adds smoke and depth to every solid flavor.

The alcohol, as a whole, is still mild, but with the various spice and char in every second of the sip, I know that this little 107 proof has big dreams to burn. A Kentucky chew brings out a fun tingle that doesn’t quite sting. I taste cherry and apple blossoms here strongly, backed by cinnamon, char and light brown sugar. Very delicious!

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Very long. The warmth clings and clings, even to the teeth. And the aftertaste here with the warmth is great.
– Between Sips: Cherries, vanilla and barrel char. Could I ask for anything more in this category?

– No More: Stronger fruit leather and an unexpected, but tasty, apple tart come into play the further I get into the glass. The spice and original fruit are still here too; they just have extra companions.

The empty Glencairn has a spicy barrel char, with black pepper leading the way. All in all, a great pout that I look forward to having again.

WORTH THE PRICE?

Out of all of the Director’s Cuts I’ve had, Batch #6 is undoubtedly my favorite, and I do think it is worth the price at $70. Director’s Cuts as a whole from Maker’s I think are usually worth trying at least once, with only a couple batches unlikely to be worth the asking price. Luckily for us, this one definitely was worth it!

RATING: 95/100

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Maker’s Mark Private Select ID Director’s Cut Batch #4 Review

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:
Maker's Mark Private Select ID Director's Cut Batch #4 Review

– 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

Visit makersmark.com for more information

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:
Maker's Mark Private Select ID Director's Cut Batch #4 Review

– 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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Maker’s Mark Private Select Idaho Director’s Cut Batch #6 Review

Brian’s Maker’s Mark Private Select Idaho Director’s Cut Batch #6 Review


17-October-2020

MAKER’S MARK PRIVATE SELECT IDAHO DIRECTOR’S CUT BATCH #6 BOURBON REVIEW:

Maker’s Mark Private Select Idaho Director’s Cut Batch #6 (Maker’s Mark PS – ID Dir Cut 6) is one of the finest bourbons I’ve ever had the pleasure to enjoy. Its nose is of light fruit, sherry wine and a perfectly balanced sweet and woody wheat pastry confection – all of which are amplified on the palate. The mouthfeel is amazing, oily and viscous, sweet, and woody. I’ll have another.

2020 marks the second year the Idaho State Liquor Department has partnered with Maker’s Mark to expand on the Maker’s 46 process* of adding 10 oak finishing staves to cask-strength Maker’s Mark.

MAKER’S MARK PRIVATE SELECT IDAHO DIRECTOR’S CUT BATCH #6 VITAL STATS:
Maker's Mark Private Select Idaho Director's Cut Batch #6 Review

– Category: Barrel Finished Kentucky Bourbon*
– Region: Loretto, KY, USA
– Distiller: Maker’s Mark
– Mash Bill: Mashbill: 70% corn; 16% soft red winter wheat; 14% malted barley
– Barrel Char: Barrels are “seasoned” outdoors for nine months, (over a summer) in new American white oak then fired for 40 seconds to achieve #3 char.
– Barrel entry proof: 110
– Age: nas (said to be 5 3/4 to 7 years, plus finishing of 9 weeks in cold conditions in barrels with a chosen combination of staves)*
– Barrel #: 2565
– Dumped 06-December-2019
– ABV: 53.5% (107 Proof)
– Price: $69.95

*MAKER’S MARK PRIVATE SELECT – IDAHO DIRECTOR’S CUT BATCH #6 FINISHING STAVES:

▪P2: Adds sweet brown vanilla, caramel and brown spice
▪Cu: Adds toasted oak and caramel
▪46 Adds dried fruit, vanilla and spice
▪Mo: Adds char, maple and cacao
▪Sp: Adds smoke, coumarin and spice

STAVE SELECTORS FOR THIS BATCH:

The Idaho State Liquor Division.

*”The Maker’s Mark Private Select® Experience is a one-of-a-kind bourbon adventure. It took place over the course of a full day in Boise, Idaho. While there, we were introduced to the five oak staves chosen especially for this program. These five staves can be combined in 1,001 ways to create a personal expression. We learned about their taste profiles, sampled bourbon produced with each of them and made the selections that ultimately led to our own version of Maker’s Mark.® We’re confident you’ll enjoy this new expression.”

*Learn more at https://www.makersmark.com/makers-mark-private-selection.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

For the evaluation, I shared neat pours from Glencairn glasses with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

COMPARISON NOTES:

One and half ounces of Maker’s Mark PS – ID Dir Cut 4 and Dir Cut 6 were sampled several weeks prior to the reviews of this bourbon. At the first pour, I felt Dir Cut 4 was better than Dir Cut 6. Reviews of these bourbons were conducted two evenings apart. Since opening the bottles, Maker’s Mark PS – ID Dir Cut 6 has blossomed, and is far superior to Maker’s Mark PS – ID Dir Cut 4.

MAKER’S MARK PS – ID DIR CUT 6 NOSE:

With heavy nosing, ethanol can be coaxed, but for me Maker’s Mark PS – ID Dir Cut 6’s first notes are floral in nature. Like many Maker’s offerings, I get light fruit tree blossoms on the wind, but there are also sherry wine, roasted corn and wheat aromas. Continued nosing brings dark dried stone fruit which complement well blended allspice, cinnamon and pepper. It is a nice brown sugared wheat-pastry wrapped fresh apple-cinnamon compote. Rich vanilla and buttery, woody, brown sugar caramel and a hint of toasted pecan toffee only add to the confection. This wood forward whiskey is gentle and buttery. Its sweet and seasoned, spicy-dry oak wafts upward in toasted and hazy barrel char aromas.

MAKER’S MARK PS – ID DIR CUT 6 PALATE:

Upon taking the first taste, Maker’s Mark PS – ID Dir Cut 6 presents with little alcohol making this dry and warm liquid and easy sip. The pleasant sherry wine notes sensed on the nose pass through as do roasted corn and dark fruit leather. Allspice, cinnamon and black pepper, are perfectly balanced with sweets of light brown sugar. And once in the mouth, cinnamon sprinkled on buttered wheat toast and rich vanilla. I also get buttery and woody brown sugar caramel and a slight nutty toffee – those toasted pecans again. Is this a breakfast treat??? The elixir’s wood forward notes shine. Strong, seasoned, spicy dry oak with plenty of barrel spice flavors blend into toasted and hazy barrel char. This is pure joy in a glass.

Maker's Mark Private Select Idaho Director's Cut Batch #6 Review

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Maker’s Mark PS – ID Dir Cut 6 is a well blended bourbon. I found this evaluation to be especially fun. I enjoyed holding rather large mouthfuls for extended periods of time as the mouth feel is amazing! This liquid is so full, oily and viscous it is a pleasure to drink. In the Glencairn both fat and thin legs return the tawny juice back to the bowl. And its long lasting, well defined crown clings in a nice ring between each sip.

MAKER’S MARK PS- ID DIR CUT 6 FINISH:

Maker’s Mark Private Select Idaho Director’s Cut Batch #6 finishes deep, long and warm. It has the same fortified sherry wine and roasted corn notes sensed on the nose and palate, though much more subdued. The wheatiness also passes through as do the allspice, cinnamon and pepper which balance nicely with dark dried stone fruits. And there’s just enough sweetness left in its burnt, woody caramel to balance the strong, dry, seasoned spicy oak and toast and hazy barrel char. In the empty Glencairn, notes of new leather add complexity to the sweet and woody notes.

MAKER’S MARK PS – ID DIR CUT 6 RATING: 93/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
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Click 93/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this distillery, click Maker’s Mark.

WHISKEY TRAITS AND FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
Maker's Mark Private Select Idaho Director's Cut Batch #6 Review
Maker's Mark Private Select Idaho Director's Cut Batch #6 Review

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