One of the more prominent Kentucky Bourbons, Maker’s Mark began production in it’s current iteration in 1954. That is after the founder, Bill Samuels Sr., reportedly torched his family’s 170 year old recipe in 1953. The story goes that Mr. Samuels believed he could create an even better tasting bourbon. Let’s see if that’s the case with the Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon review!

The Maker’s Mark mash bill allegedly consists of 70% corn, 16% red winter wheat and 14% Malted Barley. Standard bourbons generally contain some rye, but the omission is purposeful here in an attempt to create a smoother, sweeter experience. Also interesting to note about production is the use of 150 year old heirloom yeast strain used for every bottle. Finally, Maker’s Mark distillery contains its own watershed and limestone filtered 10 acre lake. Maker’s Mark claims to age to taste resulting in an average of 6 to 7 years. The bourbon punches in at 90 proof (45% ABV). Now owned by Beam Suntory, Maker’s Mark certainly maintains a nice background history. Let’s see how their standard bourbon turns out.

Bottle and Appearance

To start, the bottle opens via a plastic screw cap. Second, the red “wax” feels more like plastic that wax. At the risk of sounding arrogant, the cap automatically bestows a bottom shelf feel to the this whisky while the apparently fake wax adds a questionable gimmicky factor. Nevertheless, we proceed. In the bottle, this whisky presents a solid copper hue showing a nice ruddy aspect, and retains this color upon pouring. Giving a swirl in the glass allows for a thin coating with fast, skinny yet disjointed legs.

Nose

Lifting the whisky to the nose produces a quick prickle. This quickly fades giving way to an initial sweetness upfront with notes of plum sherry. Underneath the sweetness lurks a penetrating burn that pounces out. This burn resembles more a mineral based solvent than alcohol, like that of turpentine. A fairly pronounced burnt rubber rounds out the experience. Despite the quirky and harsh flavor profile, the nose holds it together somewhat.

Palate

Moving on to the palate, this bourbon bites the drinker with a piercing astringency. A muted sweet corn note jumps out first with an earthy mushroom taste accompanying it. Toward the middle to back part of the mouth, the rubbery chemical piece from the nose morphs into a soapy sensation both in taste and feel. This shares equal space with cotton fabric, similar to eating a t-shirt. Finally, the palate contains a strong burn as well. This time, though, it’s merely alcohol. The palate frankly breaks down into a set of unpleasant notes with little to balance it out.

Finish

As the whisky makes its inevitable exit, an alcohol-based soap profile initially prevails. This devolves into a strong alcohol taste not unlike that of moonshine. Lastly, it leaves a waxy coating sensation on the way down which throws in a bit of queasiness for fun. In case the description doesn’t quite convey it, this was not an enjoyable experience.

Drinkability

Adding ice or water unlocks a little vanilla and really allows the mushroom taste to blossom. Likewise, the chemical aspects prevalent throughout this whisky escape with the water as well, and a full on chemical acid show rages on. Most people likely buy Maker’s Mark standard bourbon for cocktails and it’s apparent why the whisky gained popularity in that area. If you must, drink this one in a cocktail. Preferably while at the dog races throwing your losing betting stubs on the ground for effect.

Food Pairing

Something spicy with an overpowering flavor profile yet milk based to soothe the stomach works best for this. A dish with rogan josh sauce utilizing yogurt would serve this purpose, as would a tzatziki dip.

Facial Hair Rating

Maker’s Mark Bourbon Whisky receives the Stubble Facial Hair Rating. In some cases, Stubble may further a certain intended look such as rebel or tough guy, etc. However, in other instances it may simply be a sign of a lack of inspiration or laziness. For this bourbon, the latter seems more likely.

Overall

To conclude the Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon review – it simply didn’t do it for me. The strong chemical tastes presented throughout along with a potent burn make the bourbon simply unpleasant. Additionally, I’m not a wax expert but whatever is on the top of the bottle doesn’t feel genuine (read plastic) and adds a distracting tackiness. While Maker’s Mark generally enjoys fine marks from many a review, this may result from sophisticated marketing, or good reputation and history. I suppose the possibility exists that somehow my bottle was part of a bad batch, but that seems extremely unlikely. Either way, much better options exist to spend money on.

Final Grade: D

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