Full of vanilla, followed by sweet cherries and fresh red fruit. Cinnamon and toasted oak. A few drops of water brings butterscotch and warming nutmeg. Delicious and very easy drinking.

Samuels started working with his family’s mash bill to make his own bourbon. It was a 170-year-old recipe, he believed himself to be the fourth-generation distiller. Sadly, the variety of Maker’s Mark bourbon available in South Africa is (currently) limited to these two releases only. So what is the difference between these two bottles? One thing I appreciate about this design is that the majority of the bottle is open clear glass. The normal Maker’s Mark bottle is mostly wrapped in paper, but in this case the deep amber color of the liquid inside is on full display. And it looks great.The shape of the bottle is less squared than the Maker’s Mark original and taller. It’s more narrow at the bottom and expands slightly at the top, giving it a refreshing unique shape. The Maker’s Mark 46 bottle stands tall and is nothing short of regal.

It is bottled when the tasters agree that it is ready, roughly around 6 yo. The Maker’s Mark bourbon mash bill does not include rye. Instead of rye, Maker’s Mark uses red winter wheat (16%), along with corn (70%) and malted barley (14%). Even that paper label was by Margie’s design, and her vision is still used today. Originally cut by a 1935 Chandler and Price printing press, Maker’s had a replica made when the original eventually broke. Small Batch Bourbon is a high-rye content bourbon that is priced similarly to the Maker’s Mark 46 and is oh so delicious! It’s going to give you those great oaky notes that the Maker’s Mark 46 also has.Initially marketed as just Maker’s 46 Maker’s Mark 46 has been a staple of the Maker’s Mark brand for over 10 years now. Originally introduced as a more premium version of the standard Maker’s Mark, the product line has gone on to see a thriving private select program, a cask strength version, and serves as the base idea for the company’s annual wood finishing series. One of the key aspects was that Maker’s Mark 46 had a different bottle design versus the standard Marker’s Mark. Taller with broader shoulders the bottle prominently stated 46 and stood out on shelves, carrying an intriguing and premium feel to it.

Elijah Craig Small Batch is nice and oaky and definitely much less expensive than the Lost Prophet! This wood-forward bottle will ring you in at just about thirty dollars.

Rich and creamy. There are notes of oak, vanilla cinnamon, all perfectly balanced. The Maker's 46 has a big mouthfeel. It is smooth like creamed honey. After the second sip, butter toffee, toast and hints of pepper show up. Water softens the heat a bit, but it is easy enough to drink without water. And of course, the bottle is sealed with that iconic red wax as well, the company does that with all their bottles, no matter the series. Easy drinking with cinnamon and fruity sweetness; it is lovely. However, when you put the Maker’s 46 next to it, you can immediately taste what the extra time in the wood did to the whiskey. The palate is very smooth with more caramel and now vanilla. It is softer than the nose with a really nice roundness as far as texture goes.