Maker's Mark a disappointment.

[Shunryu]

I've been drinking and very much enjoying Wild Turkey 101 for a while. After hearing all of these wonderful comments from co-workers and others about Maker's Mark I bought a bottle of it a while back and have been saving it for my birthday. Well, today is my birthday so I opened it. I've tasted other bourbons and whiskeys that cost half as much that are at least as interesting and enjoyable.

MM does not have much nose appeal and the alcohol overwhelms what little flavor is there. It's rather, well, wimpy.

WT 101 is very appealing to the nose and even with the higher proof the alcohol is subordinate to the creamy, rich flavor. WT 101, for me, is a much more robust bourbon.

I have seen some posts here about MM being overrated and over priced so I'm wondering, is it just me or is MM not what it's cracked up to be?

Thanks.

[ACDetroit]

Sounds to me, you're a WT 101 fan and that in itself would tell me you might not like MM. MM being a wheater and WT being a high rye makes them totally different animals. Let the MM sit on the bar for a while and try it again, it may take a bit for you to open up to the wheated recipe bourbons.

Good luck and as always enjoy!

[Neat]

i had the same exact reaction to MM the first time i tried it - and i like wheaters. never tried it again as there are too many whiskies out there that i know i like. i ended up finishing the MM by mixing it with my coffee.

[Bourbon Boiler]

AC Detroit nailed it. MM to me is good in a mint julip, but just too boring by itself. Makers 46 is noticably better, but not worth the price to me. When people that drink alcohol but not whiskey ask me for a bourbon recommendation, I usually start them with Makers. If a 101 fan asked me, I'd tell them to stay away.

[RyanL]

I've never actually had WT101 but if you would like to try another rye based bourbon I would suggest Evan Williams Single Barrel 2000 or 2001. The 2001 is the newest but you can still find 2000 around some places too but either of those should be pretty easy to find. It comes in at around $25.

If you want to give a wheater another shot I would suggest Old Weller Antique. I have a bottle of the 7 year and like it a lot(their new bottle has no age statement on it but many people think it is better than the 7yr age statement bottles, either would be fine if you find it). It is going to be fairly sweet, with lots of caramel and vanilla flavors that you won't get from a rye but it will give you a good idea if you actually like wheaters or not unlike MM which is just too bland to be any kind of real representation of a good wheated bourbon. You should be able to find a bottle in the $22-25 range on that as well.

From there you can decide what you like the most and start branching out.

[mosugoji64]

Agreed. While I can enjoy a pour of MM, it's really an overpriced starter bourbon. 46 is good, but too expensive. There are better wheaters out there for the money. Give OWA a try.

[craigthom]

I have seen some posts here about MM being overrated and over priced so I'm wondering, is it just me or is MM not what it's cracked up to be?

I think Maker's Mark is exactly what it's cracked up to be: a very smooth, very unobjectionable bourbon. On the tour they make a point of the fact that it's got no bite or bitterness or any other flavor anyone could object to ("flaws" that some of us might refer to as "character"). And that's exactly what they make: a bourbon that even people who don't like bourbon can drink.

[jcg9779]

I think Maker's Mark is exactly what it's cracked up to be: a very smooth, very unobjectionable bourbon. On the tour they make a point of the fact that it's got no bite or bitterness or any other flavor anyone could object to ("flaws" that some of us might refer to as "character"). And that's exactly what they make: a bourbon that even people who don't like bourbon can drink.

I couldn't have said it better. It seems that a lot of people want Maker's to be more than it is. It is easy to drink, but lacks some of the depth of flavor (or character) of other bourbons, as craigthom points out. I do think that it is a good introductory bourbon - Maker's and Woodford are what first got me interested in bourbon. I'll always have a bottle of each on my bar, even if I don't drink them as much as I once did.

[Stu]

With the help of my friend, Dale, I learned to like MM, however I agree that the M46 is a superior product...lets not debate price. I agree that Tony hit the nail on the head when he talked about WT101 being high rye. Since you like high ryes, may I suggest Four Roses? Some say that their Yellow label is overpriced, but it has far more depth and character than MM. Very few, if any, would argue the value of their Smalll Batch or Single barrel.

[gburger]

I was at a wedding last night. The only whiskey they had was Maker's.
I had a few of them neat. Every time I ordered one they wanted to put a hand full of ice in the glass first.
Anyways, Maker's to me is a very easy sipping bourbon. You can drink it without thinking about any after burn or intense flavors.
It is not the best or most flavorful I have had, but I have tasted others that I would never try again.
I enjoy a glass of this at home when I want to unwind and have a little snort without feeling the need to experience the many flavors of some of my other pours. Does that make any sense? Oh well Maker's is a good bourbon, I also like 46 better, it does has some flavors to find.