Maker's Mark ain't bad, and that's good.

[Alden]

So, lately I have just been sipping on bottom shelf bourbons, like AA and EW and EB. These are all acceptable bourbons to my taste. I don't care much for Beam.

Today I picked up a bottle from the middle/top shelf, Maker's Mark.

Is it the 90 proof that makes this better? I sure do taste a big difference.

I know a lot of guys snicker and point derisively at Maker's fans, but I can't figure out why.

[Mr. Bourbon]

I've drank 3 or 4 bottles of MM, At a price of $43.00 each for a 750ml.

To me it's a solid bourbon, But not much complexity at all. I really don't feel like purchasing it ever again after having Buffalo Trace, Which is in the same price range here.

MM isn't bad at all, But seems to be a one trick pony. And to me that's just fine!

Edited February 16, 2015 by Mr. Bourbon

[squire]

Makers is good, can't recall a time when it wasn't. True, it's not terribly complex but it's quality has remained consistent.

[dcbt]

I have never felt slighted or been disappointed with a pour of MM.

[ccleve23]

MM is my go to for cocktails. It is my favorite for Manhattans.

[Paddy]

As Squire pointed out, there is a consistency with MM and it is a solid pour.

IMO, the only reason they catch so much flack is due to the historically higher price point, vs others of similar pedigree.

I'd also add that they have come a long way (in a short time), to overcome some of the negative annotations by giving us M46 and a cast strength expression of MM.

[MTNBourbon]

It's been awhile since I've had this bourbon. Might give it another try again. Give Weller 12 a try.

[Alden]

It's been awhile since I've had this bourbon. Might give it another try again. Give Weller 12 a try.

I've had Weller 12 and liked it a lot. It's similar.

As for the high price, I paid $25 for it. I don't think that is particularly high for a solid pour.

[Quintilian]

MM was my gateway bourbon to better bourbon. That said, it's a fine wheater. I prefer OFitzBiB and Larceny over MM though, and they're cheaper than MM.

[GaryT]

I like MM well enough, but for the price just find too many other pours that scratch the same itch. They have consistent quality, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't like their packaging.

[Red One]

I like MM just fine. I don't normally keep it on my bar, but don't hesitate to order it if it's one of the few decent selections at a restaurant.

[whiskeyscope]

During my travels, I almost always have a 200mL bottle of MM on hand. I think it's a nice, sweet wheater that serves its purpose; much better than WSR. Now if MM went out of their way to bring out true wheater domination to crush BT and HH...

[Fort Knox]

I've always liked MM, and really like M46. Now that they've put out the MMCS, I'm a huge fan of that, as hard as it is to find. I get that the regular Maker's isn't all that complex, and sure, there are better wheaters in the price range (especially W12), but one advantage MM has over any of the Wellers....I can ALWAYS find MM. Sure, if W12 was on the shelf next to MM, I would buy the W12 every time, but there just doesn't seem to be any W12 (or OWA for that matter) within hundreds of miles of where I live. I tried Larceny when I first started getting into bourbon and didn't really like it. I almost bought a bottle of it today to give it another shot, but couldn't pull the trigger.

Edited February 17, 2015 by Fort Knox

[smokinjoe]

What I find fascinating about many enthusiasts perception of Maker's, is that when I listen to them explain what a "wheater" is and how it is different from a rye bourbon to the bourbon neophyte, it unwittingly matches nearly identically to how they describe Maker's to these same people. But, the wheater description is usually delivered in a positive tone, and full of glowing descriptors and positive attributes. The Maker's description though the same, is delivered in an almost condescending way, as if it is lacking substance and merit.

[Harry in WashDC]

Couple good SB threads on MM recently so I'll try not to repeat myself (or others) too much. When I saw this thread, I harkened back . . .

As has been said here, Makers is just fine, is a great gateway bourbon; not too complex but consistently just above average - in my opinion as well as in others'. The daughter of Episcopalian missionaries in China introduced me to it. She was an elderly friend of my wife's and one of the few women I've met who ALWAYS drank her bourbon neat. Can't find something you like as a before/during/after dinner drink at a bar? MM.

EDIT: And as Joe just posted, it's a widely available wheated bourbon which I, as a rye mash bill lover, sometimes overlook to my detriment.

Edited February 17, 2015 by Harry in WashDC

[flahute]

Maker's was my first bourbon and for many many years, my only until I introduced Woodford Reserve. When I became an "enthusiast" I left both of those behind in order to try, well, everything else. When I've gone back to them to see how they stack up to my new found tastes, WR is lacking greatly while MM still holds its own. It's not one I'm going to rave about, but I sure am happy to drink it when it's there.

[BigRich]

What I find fascinating about many enthusiasts perception of Maker's, is that when I listen to them explain what a "wheater" is and how it is different from a rye bourbon to the bourbon neophyte, it unwittingly matches nearly identically to how they describe Maker's to these same people. But, the wheater description is usually delivered in a positive tone, and full of glowing descriptors and positive attributes. The Maker's description though the same, is delivered in an almost condescending way, as if it is lacking substance and merit.

See, now you're asking people to be self aware and consistent which is just beyond human nature.

I'm just not a huge fan of younger (<8yr) wheaters. I think they age relatively well but I like the rye on the younger side. You won't find a ready bottle of MM at my place but you also won't find open bottles of WSR or OWA. Larceny is really the first one to make me start to change my mind. I find it more flavorful and robust compared to other younger wheaters which are a little thin to me. But all this is personal preference which shouldn't mean anything to anyone except me. All that said, whiskey is exceptionally mood and moment driven for me. There have been times when Makers hits the center of the bullseye for me. We are all spoiled for choice these days which is the only reason we have discussions like this. If we were stuck with JB and JD folks would be singing the Maker's praises.

[kjbeggs]

You can usually count on most restaurants to have some MM on hand, even when their whiskey selections aren't that great.

It's a solid, inoffensive pour. There's others I prefer in the same price range, so I don't always have one on hand.

Now, the Cask Strength, that's really good stuff.

[Phil T]

I bougbt my first bottle of MM probably a year ago, and have repeated the buy a couple more times. A solid tasty wheater. I really enjoy tbe 46 also, but I don't think it's $15 better then the standard bottling.

[Der JD]

I'm a fan of Maker's Mark. But, I'm still a novice in the world of bourbon drinking. In my family, MM and Woodford Reserve have always been considered top shelf!

[Paddy]

I'm a fan of Maker's Mark. But, I'm still a novice in the world of bourbon drinking. In my family, MM and Woodford Reserve have always been considered top shelf!

I think that holds true in most families. By volume, most folks are drinking JD and JB. For a step up, they consider MM and WR high end. Thank God, we're not most people!:grin:

[JDSmith619]

MM is my go-to when heading to the bar but I pour enough of it at home for it to be called one of my regulars. Just a good solid bourbon, nothing special but I know what Im getting every time I have a pour

I've got a MMCS I still need to crack though

[PaulO]

I would call MM the best bourbon you can always find almost everywhere. I prefer Weller OWA and W12, but those have become hard to find, and I've heard of crazy prices. There are some bourbons cheaper than MM that I like as much or more than MM. Even something like Old Forester Sig is only carried by some stores.

[BigRich]

always find almost everywhere.

Huh? Is that like pleasing all of the people some of the time?

[PaulO]

The grocery stores, drug stores, liquor stores, restaurants, and bars that carry MM don't seem to run out.