Maker's Mark vs Maker's Mark 46: Which Bourbon is WORTH IT?

[@gazboden4337]

Both excellent Bourbons for the money, I’d always sway towards the 46. The Cask Strength is exceptional 👌🏼🥃

[@TheCrumbyBeard]

I had the opportunity to pick up the Cask Strength a month ago and I opted to go for something else - I really shouldn't have! The 46 is certainly more refined, that's for sure. Cheers!

[@CloudyMcCloud00]

Just got a bottle of the 46 today (£32!). Not yet opened; but they’ve changed the bottle design: apparently going back to the bottle shape and design of the original, with paper all round and glass embossed seal rather than the wax one you got - which was slightly disappointing, but hopefully won’t affect the taste! Thanks for the review! 🥃

[@michaellutes2163]

Here in Kentucky, the 46 is only $2 more than the regular, so I find myself unable to resist buying the 46 every time. I love the regular Cask Strength, and I often have a pour of 46 as a prelude to drinking Cask Strength. Cheers 👍😎🥃

[@TheCrumbyBeard]

Oh that is close! Yeah much bigger gap between them here! Can't blame you - Cheers!

[@buckbryant8599]

I just purchased the 46 today and I prefer it over the regular makers.

[@paulf2529]

Having tried both, for me, the regular is my choice, and i always have a bottle of it in the house. As you say, all down to preference.

[@TheCrumbyBeard]

Absolutely - I'm still very torn on it, depends how the mood takes me really. Starting to see this with a few different "finished" bourbons, where the premium product just feels softer rather than actually being a more premium offering. Cheers!

[@dellh86]

I find the regular better than the 46. I think you hit the nail on the head. The more fiery and unbalanced one is the regular. I find that unbalance part to be part of what is fun about it, but they are both great. My personal favorite is the regular but cask strength.

[@TheCrumbyBeard]

I still need to pick up a cask strength bottle, I hear it is fantastic! Cheers!

[@christinecamley]

Maker's Mark 46 hands down!! I don't drink a lot of Maker's Mark but it's not bad. Thanks for the video! I do like this Bourbon! At the end of the day I usually reach for a good peated scotch! Yesterday's new bottle was my Lagavulin love - Lagavulin 16!! For Bourbon this is a nice pour!! Cheers! 🙂

[@TheCrumbyBeard]

Ooof, I bet that Lagavulin 16 is a beauty! I've not had the pleasure but would love to try it - despite my slight aversion to heavily-peated drams. Cheers!

[@christinecamley]

@@TheCrumbyBeard It's interesting! I never get a sense of Lag 16 as being overwhelmingly peated but I know every experience matters. Our palettes all vary. I think it's a very welcoming peat and it opened me up to a love of peated scotch but that actually surprised me! I didn't expect to enjoy it. Lagavulin 16 was so wonderful that I started trying other peated scotch and I fell in love! I know it's not for everyone! I hope you can try Lag 16! It would be great to know what you think! Thanks for the awesome reply! Have a great week!

[@dannyfannyfoodle]

I love the Maker’s Private Barrel 11:59 wood finishing series, some of which are truly exceptional. But the 46 cask strength is just outstanding and certainly worth picking up when you get the chance. New sub. Love the content - Cheers!

[@TheCrumbyBeard]

Cheers! Welcome aboard! I think the Cask Strength 46 would just turn the dial up enough to make it properly interesting, I’ll keep an eye out for some of the Private Barrel series too - cheers!

[@Craftbeercentral]

Both good whisky’s but the 46 for me is fantastic, like you said just like a dessert, one of my favourites.

[@TheCrumbyBeard]

It is very very good indeed! Just something about that bottle and the fact it’s a higher proof had me expecting an amped-up version of the regular and it’s just so different. Not a bad thing though. Similar concept to Woodford and their Double Oaked I guess! Cheers!

[@Craftbeercentral]

Ye, if anything I find the 46 really smooth and the normal version a bit more spikey, but it’s that smoothness that makes it so pleasant and approachable, and such an easy sipper, it’s strength to me is you don’t have to think too much about it, just sit back and enjoy the ride!

[@matthewjackson9615]

The big question now is : if you poured 46 over the rocks, would it dilute it too much and wreck the subtle flavor ?

[@TheCrumbyBeard]

Big rock and drank reasonably quickly should be okay. Cold masks flavours in everything but I think you'd just about get away with it - ice melt causing dilution I'd be more concerned about though. Hope that helps!

[@siredith8846]

Regular Makers is only 40% in Australia. So for A$12 extra, 46 is my go to.

[@TheCrumbyBeard]

That's fair! It's certainly worth more, but I see it as something different, rather than a better version - if that makes sense. Cheers!

[@very7962]

Why’s it so low?

[@siredith8846]

@@very7962 coz the government cares about our health

[@garyrobinson8665]

I just picked up a bottle of the 46 for £32. I'm not sure which one I prefer. I don't think the 46 is worth £45 I only picked the 46 up over the standard one because it's on offer. I've had the standard quite a few times only had the 46 once before. I'm really enjoying the 46 so far. It's a bit softer than a bourbon with rye in id say.

[@TheCrumbyBeard]

Yeah, it's interesting for sure but there's a lot of other stuff in that £45 bracket that I'd pick up instead of this I must say. Cheers!

[@garyrobinson8665]

@@TheCrumbyBeard yeah £45 is getting to the maximum id pay for a bourbon. I generally won't go over £50. I can get some cracking bourbons for under £50.

[@kevinwalter2674]

As someone who has never been a fan of regular MM (not a big fan of bananas, and regular MM has a very strong banana flavor to me), I picked up a bottle of 46 to give it a try after hearing someone say it's an easier sipper than some other bourbons. Not a fan of the 46 at all. Not even a little bit. It's like drinking water that burns. I don't really notice ANY flavors other than those inherent to the alcohol. MAYBE a little smokey and leathery? The flavor is so subtle, it's practically non-existent. I guess I'll go back to WT101.

[@TheCrumbyBeard]

MM is a funny one for me, what I've learned is that when I liked it, I prefer to almost anything, but I often have days when I just think it's terrible, and I can't quite work out why. Maybe it's temperature related, maybe it's easily affected by whatever else you've eaten or drank that day, hard to say. Do you like other wheated whiskies? But tbf, you can't got wrong with a WT101!

[@Koby616]

Haven't tried any maker marks yet. I heard it's really sweet, that's what's keeping me away

[@TheCrumbyBeard]

A lot of the notes are definitely on the sweeter side, I don’t think it’s necessarily sweeter than many others but it lacks some of the more savoury or earthy notes of others so feels sweeter by comparison.

[@Koby616]

@@TheCrumbyBeard thanks for replying back. I might get a regular one, 46 was 50€ but I don't see it in my market.

[@scoobtoober2975]

I'd suggest rye's, or other known non-wheat bourbons. Rittenhouse rye is a great mid spice rounded pour. Or michters straight rye for more spice and mouthfeel.

[@stacysoliday7396]

Both

[@TheCrumbyBeard]

This is the right answer. 😂 Cheers!

[@torbenmortensen75]

46 any day.

[@TheCrumbyBeard]

I think many would agree with that - I'm still torn; depends on the day and the mood for me. Cheers!

[@tobyroad]

Just bought a 46 yesterday. Its the same bottle as the regular makers but with a red label and marked the same as the 46 cream label. Also has a screw cap. I gotta say im kinda disappointed. Too much leather notes, and kinda oaky. Not as bad as woodford double oaked but a little easier on the palette. Not my favorite by far. For a few bucks more I'll get a bottle of 4 roses single barrel every time.

[@TheCrumbyBeard]

Four Roses SB wins for me too I must say. I’ve not had a bottle for years though, I need to fix that! Cheers!

[@Jorven-w1z]

Sadly, they changed that beautiful bottle to something very similar to the standard version. I know the content is the same, but it’s such a disappointment. I actually decided not to buy it, even though it was on sale.

[@TheCrumbyBeard]

Yeah I had noticed that - I had contemplated not opening that bottle as it was an original style but thought better of it haha. Cheers!