Booze Reviews: Maker’s 46

Here is my review...it's only one sentence long: Tasting Maker's 46 is like finally dating that tomboyish Girl-Friend you've known your whole life and finding out that she actually has some really deep, interesting parts to her...personality...that you never noticed before.

Who am I kidding? I can't stop there. Actually, I could because that one line is all you really need to know about Maker's 46. That's really it - in a nut-shell. If you like Maker's Mark you're going to like this. Bottom line. End of story. And I'd like to, but I can't bring myself to end it there. There's just too much cool stuff happening with this bourbon.

If you're not familiar with Maker's Mark you need to acquaint yourself...now. I'll wait.

Glad you're back. DO YOU SEE?

Maker's Mark started as an attempt to make a bourbon that actually tasted good. So it was either the most pretentious idea in the history of spirits or the most brilliant. You see, at the time of its creation (1950's) most, not all, of the whiskies on the market were pretty harsh. It was the drink of cowboys, gangsters, and really tough nuns.

What's so cool about Bill Samuels' creation of Maker's Mark is that he found a way to beat the system. Instead of working up several recipes, distilling the mash, putting it into barrels and then waiting YEARS to see if he'd made any good bourbon, he made bread. That's right - bread. He worked up several bourbon recipes and after baking loaves of bread using the same proportions of grain, chose the best one and turned it into bourbon. (I don't care if this is just BS from wikipedia I WANT IT TO BE TRUE!)

Fast forward 50 years or so: now you can find Maker's Mark throughout the country and even around the world. The thing is with such a solid product, and with such a loyal following, the fans of Maker's Mark were always asking "what else can you do?" Typical. Maker's 46 is the result of years of fans begging for more and Master Distiller Kevin Smith's bright idea to ask a Cooper (barrel maker) how to make his bourbon dreams come true.

If I've learned anything about bourbon from my "boozeperiments" it's that your wood is very important. If you don't have some nice, strong, toasty-wood when you get started, your bourbon is just never going to come to fruition. I'd say about 20-40% (give or take) of the flavor in any bourbon is straight from the wood. And who knows wood better than a man who makes barrels for a living? Enter Brad Boswell - Master Cooper.

Not You...

The "bingo" moment apparently came with Kevin and Brad's 46th try at creating "staves" that would enrich the bourbon with a deeper, more complex flavor that pushed the original characteristics of Maker's Mark into new territory. The "46th Stave Recipe" is placed into the barrels with already matured Maker's Mark for a few extra months before Maker's 46 is finally drained and bottled with the classic wax seal we all know and love.

I GOT NOTHIN'! Why don't YOU try to think of something witty to say about STAVES!

So that's the story. If you've stuck with me this long then you're obviously interested so just go out and buy a bottle. Seriously, I don't know what else to say to you needy people. Do I have to drive you to the liquor store? It's ok. I know...I was afraid at first that they might of ruined one of my favorite whiskies but they didn't! I don't know if I'd say they improved it. But I would say that the people at Maker's Mark have given us what we asked for: A new expression of an old favorite that lives up to the legacy of the original. Enough said...for real this time.

Rating: ***** (Why are you still here?) Price: $30