Review #881 - Maker's Mark 46 Cask Strength
Maker's Mark is known for their mellow wheated bourbons and their use of extra staves for finishing those bourbons. Sitting above their entry level bourbon, they have the Maker's Mark 46, which is a relatively budget friendly version of their whisky which uses the French oak stave finishing technique. That's bottled at a strength of 47% ABV (94 proof), though; for the full fat version, we have to look to this more limited 46 Cask Strength bottling.
Maker's Mark uses a lower barrel entry proof of 110, as opposed to the 125 proof that is more standard across the industry. Using a low barrel entry proof means that the bourbon will pull slightly different flavors out of the oak during maturation; because of that lower entry proof, the 'cask strength' or 'barrel proof' of these bourbons is generally lower than we see from other brands, too. This batch we're looking at was bottled at 55.3% ABV (110.6 proof).
Maker's Mark 46 Cask Strength
USA - Bourbon
Price: USD 63 (2026)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 55.3% ABV
Cask Makeup: Finished with French oak staves
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times (once blind) over 2 months from a sample. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Sweet grain and butterscotch, honey and cinnamon, oatmeal, a bit of starchy oak. Scents of vanilla and subtle leather build, and we get some red fruit like strawberry or tart cherry. Cotton candy builds with time, and the oak influence grows.
Palate: Caramel and butterscotch lead a sweet palate, followed by cinnamon and apples. There's a creamy taste and also a creamy texture; the mouthfeel has a medium thickness. Drying oak builds later, and we get accents of nutmeg and a nondescript red fruit.
Finish: Wood spice and sweet vanilla battle - sweet and spicy. Banana, starchy oak, honeyed oats, and cinnamon come next; cardamom, nutmeg, and toasted coconut linger in the aftertaste. It's a medium length finish.
Final Note: A pleasant bourbon, but nothing about this bottle really stood out to us. It has a classic grain-forward wheater profile with sweet notes of honey, vanilla, and a bit of red fruit; while there is a decent amount of oak spice at the end of the palate and into the finish, this really doesn't taste very old. Nice and simple, a decent sipper.
Value is just around average for us. We generally like the pricing strategy from Maker's Mark - most of their bottles have very fair prices, and this $60 price point for a cask strength bourbon isn't too bad. We'll be looking to try other batches in the future to see if we get more from them.
Our Rating: 6.0 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.01
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Maker’s Mark reviews:
Review #812 - Maker's Mark The Stewards Release (2026)
Review #751 - Maker's Mark Cellar Aged (2023)
Review #710 - Maker's Mark The Heart Release 2024
Review #691 - Star Hill Farm American Wheat Whisky (2025)
Review #677 - Maker's Mark Lost Recipe Edition 02 (2025)
Review #593 - Maker's Mark Limited Edition (Gold Wax, Early 1990s)
