Hannah’s Maker’s 46 Bourbon Review
Original review written on November 14, 2019
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
While I do enjoy this bourbon, the Cask Strength from this distillery is preferred. However, the pricing and additional oak staves present during aging make this still a solid bourbon. Read my full Makers 46 Bourbon Review here! 89/100
VITALS:
– Made in: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Maker’s Mark Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
– Age: nas (believed to be 5-7 yrs.)
– Casks: “The innovative wood-stave-finishing process starts with fully matured Maker’s Mark at cask strength [with] 10 seared virgin French oak staves [inserted] into the barrel and finished for nine [additional] weeks”*
– Barrel Entry Proof: 110
– ABV: 47% (94 proof)
– Price: $46.95 USD in Idaho
*Notes from Maker’s Mark website makersmark.com
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
I enjoyed this 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:
This setting plagued me quite a lot, with two competing worlds for this bourbon and where it would be most enjoyed. Let it be said that this has never happened before.
One the one hand, I crave to go to the state of Oklahoma and sit on the shores of a murky, muddy river with the sun beating down on my shoulders and rejuvenating me from the inside out.
Photo by Clint McKoy on Unsplash
Photo by Yang Jing on Unsplash
However, there is another rebellious side of this bourbon that longs to stand in the humid rainforest climate of India on the Ganges river with every color, sound and smell overtaking my senses to make me feel reborn.
Both are religious and spiritual experiences leaving me filled with gratitude that this bourbon is willing to share such picturesque moments with me.
NOSE:
Waiting for my glass to warm from the cold outside of the November evening, I’m enjoying strong oak as it erupts from the Glencairn. The alcohol is gentle mixing with an old maple syrup that has lost its big punch. Very sweet, but nevertheless, very welcoming. As it warms, I get overripe red delicious apples that pair with the maple syrup quite well. Just a smidge of tannins if you’re burying your face in the Glencairn. Don’t judge.
PALATE:
– Mouth feel: Very full and thick.
– Balance: Complex – the spice is JUST there to keep it interesting.
– Visual: Auburn with clinging droplets in the undisturbed glass.
– Taste: Candied apples drizzled in caramel comes to mind even on the very first sip. The alcohol is so subtle but carries with it just a bit of spice – I’m going with cinnamon, but again, it’s very subdued.
At the back of the throat, I’m getting creamy, vanilla custard. Though I must warn, letting a bourbon sit at the back of your throat for a prolonged period of time is not recommended. Do so at your own risk.
A Kentucky chew doesn’t do a great deal for a changing flavor profile, but wow, does it make the mouth water for the next sip!
With more time between sips, cherries and vanilla take over with the apples and an unsuspecting mandarin joining in.
FINISH:
– Lasting Power: A solid medium. I feel it in my taste buds more than in my throat or chest. Not bad.
– No More: As I continue to sip, the cherries (maraschino – yes, I’m beginning to wonder if I’m a magnet for them too) and the red delicious apples fight for dominance. There are worse arguments to be caught in the middle of. A slight bitterness also begins to make its way in too, maybe hazelnuts. I think I would prefer to not have this addition, but it’s not offputting.
(It’s now been 30 minutes. The cherry and apple have come to an agreement that the apple wins, minus a cameo of cherry on the finish.)
The empty Glencairn is a musty oak that is smooth all the way through.
WORTH THE PRICE?
Priced just right
RATING: 89/100
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Click 89/100 to access other whiskeys with this rating.
To access other whiskies from this distillery, click Maker’s Mark.
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