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BOTM 11/14: Maker's Mark Cask Strength


fishnbowljoe
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I guess the general consensus is that MMCS is pretty good stuff. I have to be the outlier, then, because I thought it was pretty bad. Very woody character, very hot. I had one pour of it and I was done. I wouldn't drink it again.

A humble suggestion: Try to hold off reaching a final conclusion until you have worked your way through at least half a bottle. Quite often I find that a bottle opens up or my palate adjusts and learns to appreciate what it has to offer. Not always. Often enough, though, to teach me to be patient.

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I would definitely buy at least one of this bottle if it appears in Oregon. Seems like its not going to. Maybe find one in Indiana...

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I would definitely buy at least one of this bottle if it appears in Oregon. Seems like its not going to. Maybe find one in Indiana...

Head up the road to Vancouver - Total Wine has it in stock.

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I like it. Here are my tasting notes from a blog post I just put up comparing MMCS to MM 90 proof and MM 84 proof.

nose – It’s quite similar to the 90 proof in terms of the aromas, but much fuller, sharper and more dense.

palate – The classic Maker’s sweetness jumps out right up front, along with all of the flavors that keep the 90 proof version in check, but everything is amplified. That sweet start transitions into a drier mid palate rather quickly though, with lots of oak character and subtle nuttiness providing a pleasant segue to the finish

finish – It has a big, bold, spicy finish. While this is certainly alcohol driven, plenty of flavor (leather, oak, spearmint, teaberry) has carried along to keep things in balance. The finish is very long and warming.

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I have two everyday pours that are my "go to" bottles. Maker's 46 and 4 Roses Single Barrel.

I just finished my first bottle of this, and I think this will replace the 46 in my rotation, even though it costs more.

I have just bought 8 more bottles in case winter gets cold. This is a nice warm me up.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I absolutely love the new MMCS..at $29.99 here in Houston. Mouthfeel is important to me, one reason I really like standard Maker's. Maybe because of the lower entry proof, but Maker's has this silky mouthfeel..and the MMCS adds a thick, luscious quality to it. I find I like it best with just a small bit of cold spring water, although it is fantastic neat as well. Maybe in 5 years or so we will start seeing a 10 or 12 year Maker's. That will be mind blowing if they keep doing things the old fashioned way the way that do now at Star Hill.

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I love this stuff so much it has prompted me to liquidate all of the Weller 12 and OWA that I have (1 case each). IMHO, this is what wheated bourbon should taste like!

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Well, they've repeatedly stated that MM is perfect just the way it is and present older MM in the distillery tastings as whiskey gone bad. That coupled with the demands on their current stocks keeps me from holding my breath for an older version.

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Let's hope Suntory sees things differently!

Let's hope Suntory doesn't only ship the cask strength stuff overseas like Age International.

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I am not a real fan of regular Maker's. However, I really like MMCS. I know the price seems high ($30-35) for a 375 ml bottle. However, it compares to or surpasses most bourbons in the $60-70 price range in all of the qualities most enthusiasts look for in a bourbon. I wish it were more readily available.

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I revisited this recently and have come to the conclusion that I'm just not a MM fan. It's not bad, but it doesn't bring anything new to the table like ECBP does. It's just more MM, which is great if you like that. I guess I was hoping for characteristics absent from standard MM but they're just not there.

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I have really enjoyed this, to the point of recently buying a second (half) bottle, even though I think it is overpriced. I get a little more of an oak note than from the regular Maker's. It does have a typical Maker's "candy" aspect of being really sweet without a lot of balancing oak or rye spice. If they released this in full bottles at around $50-60, I think I would buy it from time to time. If they did that and aged it some more, I would buy it regularly. However, for now, I think I have satisfied my curiosity and it is generally above a price I am willing to pay, although I do think it is very good.

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The Cask Strength hits me as a nice higher proof version of regular MM. No big change in flavor, but the extra proof shines well, particularly, as I am a big fan of regular Maker's. It really works well. I don't know who is responsible for taking the stick out of MM's ass regarding their insistence that only the regular MM is necessary, but I greatly thank whomever that might be. First, 46. Now, Cask Strength. As many have mentioned, maybe a longer aged iteration is under consideration ? I love Maker's Mark whiskey, and I will keep hope alive that they will continue growing the brand to meet the wants of their ardent fans and bourbon enthusiasts, alike.

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I got a bottle of Maker's Mark cask strength at a Black Friday sale. I liked it better than the standard Makers, but was hoping for a little more boldness and spice to come with the increased strength. IMO it did not differentiate itself enough from the standard Maker's Mark.

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I got a bottle of Maker's Mark cask strength at a Black Friday sale. I liked it better than the standard Makers, but was hoping for a little more boldness and spice to come with the increased strength. IMO it did not differentiate itself enough from the standard Maker's Mark.

In my limited sample of three bottles, I have determined there is some batch variation. Batch 14-02 had a much more prominent cherry note, while 14-02 was more woody. The 14-02 was MUCH more of everything, while the 14-06 was much closer to regular Maker's but still much better. To me it's a whole different world than standard Maker's (which I do like). One thing is for sure..if you don't like regular Maker's, you won't like MMCS.

I realize though that $30-$40 for 375ml is a lot to experiment with different batches.

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In my limited sample of three bottles, I have determined there is some batch variation. Batch 14-02 had a much more prominent cherry note, while 14-02 was more woody. The 14-02 was MUCH more of everything, while the 14-06 was much closer to regular Maker's but still much better. To me it's a whole different world than standard Maker's (which I do like). One thing is for sure..if you don't like regular Maker's, you won't like MMCS.

I realize though that $30-$40 for 375ml is a lot to experiment with different batches.

I have to admit, I have not tried, nor did I realize that there were variations in the batches. I have batch 14-01, and did not find it much different from standard Maker's. I like it some, although among the Makers I prefer 46 more so.

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  • 3 weeks later...

After work today, stopped by a new liquor store I hadn't been to. Didn't see anything of interest so I asked for the MMCS. It rang up as $19.99.

Having some now. I actually like this. Granted, I've never had regular MM but have tried M46. I like the finish on the MMCS. Nice and long finish. I pick up what I think is a nutty aspect. Can't pin point it but I picked up on this same thing with the OGB BIB finish. Still new to bourbon so my description may be way off. For instance, for all I know, it could be leather.

Will need to go back and pick up some more.

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