Maker's 46 in stock?

Your favorite liquor store should have it in stock now!

Good deal. Thanks!

Had a remarkable dinner at Varanese this evening and am now enjoying a splash of Maker's 46 over a single cube of ice.

Had a Perfect Manhattan with it the other night at Proof on Main and while the drink was very well crafted the splash of Vermouth, lemon around the rim, and lemon rind in the drink were just enough to overwhelm the subtlety of the extra oak stave flavors.

I'll keep a bottle in the bar from now on for just this purpose. Very nice sippin' Bourbon.

Had a remarkable dinner at Varanese this evening and am now enjoying a splash of Maker's 46 over a single cube of ice.

Had a Perfect Manhattan with it the other night at Proof on Main and while the drink was very well crafted the splash of Vermouth, lemon around the rim, and lemon rind in the drink were just enough to overwhelm the subtlety of the extra oak stave flavors.

I'll keep a bottle in the bar from now on for just this purpose. Very nice sippin' Bourbon.

I'm still going to disagree.

I tried it again tonight to see if my earlier opinion was incorrect. It was not. It's too harsh. It needs to be blended.

I am not shouting down your opinion Doug, but the only things I hold more dear than bourbon are my son and my dic- errr... johnson.

I concur about the bourbon being a bit harsh. I had some in a snifter and paid for it later.

I should preface this by saying that there is no such thing as bad bourbon, and bourbon, more than any other whiskey, is VERY much a matter of taste.

Having said that, Maker's is wimp bourbon. It's intended to be mellow, smooth and "accessible". It's for people who don't like bourbon but want to pretend they do. The lack of rye and the low proof drag most of the character our of it. There is a good flavor profile in there, it's just buried, almost as if somebody took a good mash and pulled it too soon then watered it down. Wait.. that's what they did.

The Van Winkles are the only ones who can pull off a truly great wheated bourbon and they do it by keeping the proof high and aging it longer to let it pull a lot of depth from the char and oak. You need that to compensate for the lack of rye.

46 has just enough character to make it an enjoyable pour, and adds quite a bit of depth to the traditional Maker's profile. The extra char from the staves basically subs for the longer barrel aging the Van Winkles do and then they reduced the water add to keep the proof up and leave the flavor in.

It's nice to have a bottle from Maker's with an actual finish. Even so, it barely squeaks it's way into my collection.

If you can't handle 46 straight, stay away from the truly assertive bourbons. 46 is pale in comparison.

It, like all good bourbon, is best neat. I guess a drop or two of distilled water is ok from time to time, just to mix it up or to knock a little of the alcohol kick out of the really high proof pours. Put that ice and Coke in a separate glass where they can keep each other company.

It, like all good bourbon, is best neat. I guess a drop or two of distilled water is ok from time to time, just to mix it up or to knock a little of the alcohol kick out of the really high proof pours. Put that ice and Coke in a separate glass where they can keep each other company.

Definitely the only way to drink a good Bourbon or a good Scotch! I do like ice in some drinks but now these and have never found a use for Coke!

If you must, dilute, don't pollute..

True story. I was bartending at the LaFayette Club in Lexington and had somebody order an XO and coke. I could not find it in me to ruin the XO myself so I gave him a snifter of XO and a coke to the side…

I'd be interested in hearing what bourbons are regularly enjoyed by those arguing for 46 as a sipping bourbon and those arguing against it as a sipping bourbon.

MM46 is just a tad harsh. I prefer Woodford Reserve.

I'll hit two posts with one here....

1) I meant to mention before that Maker's 46 is blended. It is not a single barrel or small batch product.

2) Someone asked what those of us who think 46 should be consumed neat drink. I will list my top 5.

Four Roses Single Barrel
Blanton's Original Single Barrel
Elijah Craig 18 year
Pappy Van Winkle's 20 Year Reserve
Noah's Mill

Best Budget Bourbon : Evan Williams Single Barrel

Hope that helps.

I'll hit two posts with one here....

1) I meant to mention before that Maker's 46 is blended. It is not a single barrel or small batch product.

2) Someone asked what those of us who think 46 should be consumed neat drink. I will list my top 5.

Four Roses Single Barrel
Blanton's Original Single Barrel
Elijah Craig 18 year
Pappy Van Winkle's 20 Year Reserve
Noah's Mill

Best Budget Bourbon : Evan Williams Single Barrel

Hope that helps.

Having seen Chris's list, I'm looking forward to seeing how this compares neat to, say, the Blanton's and the Evan Williams. Those are two I very much enjoy.

I'd be interested in hearing what bourbons are regularly enjoyed by those arguing for 46 as a sipping bourbon and those arguing against it as a sipping bourbon.

Wathen's

Booker's

Pappy 20 year.


Yep. I stand by it.

George T. Stagg - if you can get it.

I'd be interested in hearing what bourbons are regularly enjoyed by those arguing for 46 as a sipping bourbon and those arguing against it as a sipping bourbon.

Wathen's

Booker's

Pappy 20 year.


Yep. I stand by it.

I have to ask.

How can you drink Booker's straight and call 46 harsh? That's like eating a ghost pepper and then calling a jalapeno spicy.

The Wathen's and Pappy I get. Both are smooth and mild with a light mouth and clean finish but Booker's is exactly the flavor profile 46 is going after.