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Barrel Char: unpublished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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