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BOTM, 10/06: Maker's Mark


jeff
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It's good that MM is BOTM so the "attitude" of we enthusiasts about Maker's Mark can get a full airing.

A few people just don't like it. Most of us think it's a good bourbon, maybe even in the higher ranks. Most of us admire what the brand has accomplished and genuinely appreciate what it has done for the image of American whiskey and, by association, for the image of American whiskey enthusiasts.

Most of us even accept that puffery is part of marketing and that Maker's Mark is not the only producer guilty of it.

Yet where most of us won't go and where you will get a fight if you try to drag us there is, "Maker's Mark is the best whiskey ever made and you need never drink anything else."

For those of us who are married, one spouse is enough. For those of us who are not married, zero spouses is perfect. In neither case do we want to marry a whiskey. When it comes to whiskey, people here like to play the field. If you come in here married to one whiskey, you will be considered to be practicing a deviant lifestyle.

As always, Chuck, well-balanced and well-said.

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Bobby, how do you make some $$ when some Maker's is consumed, I don't follow that.

I own a small part of Fortune Brands. Maybe I should change my signature to Buy Jim Beam, Buy Maker's Mark!

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I enjoyed a few pours of Maker's Mark last night, and it never fails to disappoint me. Like many others on here, Maker's was the first "premium" bourbon I went to, and I always have one on hand. Going to Maker's made me want to experiment more and got me into bigger and better bourbons, but I would never turn my back on it. I just wish we had the 90 proof in Oz.

Bettye Jo - I always thoroughly enjoy reading your posts with information on your family history - I guess one could say "Bourbon is in your blood" - it's in my blood too but that's more of a consumption thing rather than heritage:lol: It's great to see you know only know so much about your family history, but you are so darn proud of it too!:grin:

Scott

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I had a ruminative glass tonight after work. It is not a worldbeater, but it is good whiskey. Most of the taste seems to come from the barrel.

The part I would change the most is the finish. Maybe the taste is calibrated to "show" to a certain extent in mixed drinks. If that is so the finish aspect would be moot.

But I think a premium whiskey should have a smooth, lingering finish and a residual sweetness; I did not find this in current MM.

Net net, a whiskey such as, say, Rittenhouse BIB is to me so much better at, what, 60% or so the price..?

Gary

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The problem with written vs verbal communications is tonality. This seem nicer in the mind than the page. I appologie for excessive language and tone.

That being said, I still take issue with anyone who will degade or minimulize someones views regarding a preference for one taste over another. IMHO the quoted text was offensive to me, an avid MM drinker. I have a dozen or so other bourbons on the bar and will drink from them from time to time based on mood. But, for my tastes, MM is my everyday pour. You want to drink something with more "bite" for your daily delight, more power to you and enjoy. Just respect us that do drink MM and like it.

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I can only agree, everyone's taste is personal and the whole point of this forum is to express our ideas about whiskey and its taste and what we like and don't. E.g., I know a number of people who can't stand rye whiskey and never will enjoy it. I do. My palate isn't better than anyone else's. There are many people (in fact most, who consume hard liquor) who don't like whiskey in any form, so it is all relative, too.

For this post no. 3000, I want to thank most sincerely Jim Butler for creating and hosting this forum. It has been a great pleasure to share ideas and information about bourbon whiskey and its many facets with such a fine group of people, many of whom have become friends.

Gary

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Well, Dale, you could always join my against-the-grain crew. :grin:

I got my new bottle last week and, in certain aspects, it was even better than I remembered it from last time.

The nose as beautiful as ever. In fact, one of the best in Bourbondom. The biggest surprise, though, was the charming palate, which seems to have improved from yore. I was only let down by the finish, which I recall to be much longer in earlier bottlings.

I may have written this before but here goes : the biggest sin Maker´s Mark have commited, in my view, is to have gained omnipresence. As the old saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt and I think this applies pretty well to MM.

Of course, in Sweden, MM is mostly conspicious by its absence which, of course, turns the whole affair into a totally different perspective for me.

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But I think a premium whiskey should have a smooth, lingering finish and a residual sweetness; I did not find this in current MM.

Gary

I couldn't agree more. For me, MM just dies on the finish.

That said, I owe Maker's for getting me interested in bourbon in the first place. And I do think it is a fine bourbon... I think it has an especially great nose to it. Offer me a drink of MM and I surely won't refuse.

-Brian

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Yet where most of us won't go and where you will get a fight if you try to drag us there is, "Maker's Mark is the best whiskey ever made and you need never drink anything else."

I've never quite understood the "I drink this and only this" mentality. I tend to go with the NTSD (Never Twice Same Drink) approach.

As for MM itself, my take is that it's good, but there are better pours available for the same or less money. I wouldn't hesitate recommending it to a newbie, though, and if you're a seasoned bourbon drinker, it's a solid choice that's available just about anywhere.

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For me, MM just dies on the finish.-Brian

Try just a small sip and then enter 'smack mode'. You will find that it´s both spicy and minty.

I agree, though, that on the basis of my recently acquired bottle, the finish is shorter than of yesteryear. It used to be really long and complex, if lacking the hedonistic touches of, say, a WT finish.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thank goodness NOVEMBER IS HERE!!!!! Bring on a new, BOTM!

Don't get me wrong, Makers is nice and all I just can't see myself spending the money on a whole bottle.

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I'm feeling pressured...I don't like pressure...I'm likely to do something rash, like make it Ten High or Ancient Age 10 star just to make the pressure stop...

:rolleyes:

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Or we could use the month of November to discuss the merits of red wax as opposed to other colors. :lol: How about straight rivulets vs. swirled? :slappin:

Seriously, I bought a bottle of Ten High a while back. It's in a compact, plastic bottle they call a travel pack, or something like that. I don't reach for it often, but I find it more appealing than others that cost a bit more, such as JB white label.

We don't have the Ancient Age Ten Star here. I suppose I could vat Ancient Age with a little AA 10 y/o.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

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Chill, guys. We'll get a new bourbon shortly, I'm sure.

I would like to just point out that while this may have been a controvertial choice, that choice has also made it the most popular (most posts) BOTM thread yet. Keep up the good work, Jeff!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Yesterday I noticed some bottles of MM with two coatings of wax, green and red.

Are these made for Christmas? Are they worth adding to one's collection, or are they bottled every year this way?

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Yesterday I noticed some bottles of MM with two coatings of wax, green and red.

Are these made for Christmas? Are they worth adding to one's collection, or are they bottled every year this way?

If you collect MM, then yes. Add it I guess. It is the same bourbon, same bottle, same label, just different wax. Nothing special.

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  • 9 months later...

They have also had specail wax for football season. Here in Packerland I have purchased green and gold wax and have seen purple and gold for the Viqueens. Also on a recent trip to the Mississippi river at Fountain City I really had few choices Minnasota is dry on Sundays and the small store in town had JD black, WT 80 and MM. All where price at $30. It was a good little bottle. However, I probably would have chose something else if the selection had been there. It smells great, tastes good then weak finish

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  • 1 month later...

Makers to me is not good. It is very shallow and has flavors, ala tanginess that I do not prefer. It also seems thin to me. I prefer others at the high end and the lower end better than Makers. Sorry. The Loreto tour is nice though.

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They have also had specail wax for football season. Here in Packerland I have purchased green and gold wax and have seen purple and gold for the Viqueens. Also on a recent trip to the Mississippi river at Fountain City I really had few choices Minnasota is dry on Sundays and the small store in town had JD black, WT 80 and MM. All where price at $30. It was a good little bottle. However, I probably would have chose something else if the selection had been there. It smells great, tastes good then weak finish

It is my understanding that regional mangers determined quanity.

Arizona Cardinals maroon/white 1200

Atlanta Falcons red/black 3960

Baltimore Ravens purple/black 2400

Buffalo Bills royal/red 600

Carolina Panthers light blue/black 3960

Chicago Bearsnavy blue/orange 13284

Cincinnati Bengals orange/black 5940

Cleveland Browns brown/orange 8424

Dallas Cowboys silver/navy3 960

Denver Broncos navy/orange 6000

Detroit Lions silver/royal 4800

Green Bay Packers greenkeene/yellow 7992

Houston Texans red/navy 2040

Indianapolis Colts royal/white 8640

Jacksonville Jaguars aqua/black 600

Kansas City Chiefs red/white 4536

Miami Dolphins aqua/orange 2040

Minnesota Vikings purple/white 2160

New England Patriots navy/silver 1320

New Orleans Saints gold/black 1500

New York Giants red/blue 2480

New York Jets white/green 1560

Oakland Raiders silver/black 6000

Philadelphia Eagles green/silver 3840

PittsburgH Steelers mustardyelo/black 2400

Saint Louis Rams navy/gold 3888

San Diego Chargers navy/yellow 300

San Francisco 49ers maroon/gold 600

Seattle Seahawks royal/silver 6000

Tampa Bay Bucaneers black/red 3960

Tennessee Titansdark blue/light blue 1200

Washington Redskins maroon/yellow 2100

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I think it was based on the overall intelligence and handsomeness of the local fans. (Note which city got the most.)

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