So I’ve reviewed Maker’s Mark Private Select before, but this isn’t officially a “revisited” post. Two reasons: one is that it has only been a little under 800 days and I really try to go longer than that between those. But the main reason is that this is a private selection and because of how Private Select is made, there is very little overlap between selections made by different selectors.
Curious how it is made? Well, I did a pretty good intro to the product back when it was introduced, but let me summarize for you. Much like Maker’s 46, this is Maker’s Mark that has been “infused” with 10 finishing staves. Unlike Maker’s 46, there is more than one style of stave that can be used. In fact, there are five and the selector can choose any combination of 10 staves for their unique product. A summary of the staves and what they bring to the party are as follows:
Baked American Pure 2 is an American oak stave designed to bring oak, vanilla, and sweetness to the finished product.
Seared French Cuvée is a grooved French oak stave that was designed to bring butterscotch, caramel, and nuttiness.
Maker's 46 is French oak designed to bring spicy vanilla. This is the same stave used for standard Maker's 46.
Roasted French Mocha is French oak designed to bring dry, dark chocolate, coffee, and char notes.
Toasted French Spice is also French oak and was designed to bring fruity Spice notes.
Now, I’ve had Maker’s Mark Private Selects that I’ve really liked and some that I just found meh. Because everyone is a unique creation, buying these can be hit or miss. That said, I’ve had many more that I really liked than those that I found lacking so, at least for me, the track record is high enough that I keep buying them. And when I saw that my local corner liquor store had their own selection, and knowing that I have loved more of their private selections than I’ve liked, I knew I had to give this one a look.
And I decided to bring you along for the ride.
Maker's Mark Private Select Selection by Liquor Barrel Staff & LBWC
Purchase Info: $65.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN
Price per Drink (50ml): $4.40
Details: 54.45% ABV Staves: 3 Baked American Pure 2, 3 Seared French Cuvée, 1 Maker's 46, 1 Roasted French Mocha, 2 Toasted French Spice
Nose: Sandalwood, oak, baking spice, hints of caramel
Mouth: Spicy and warm with lots of oak, baking spice, and a hint of caramel
Finish: Warm and of medium length. Cinnamon oil, black tea, dark chocolate, and oak notes linger.
Thoughts: On the first pour of this one, I was convinced that I wasn’t a fan. I was getting a vegetal note to the finish. The oak was too prominent and it was just too hot for my tastes. Fast forward a couple of pours and things have settled down dramatically. The vegetal notes have transformed themselves into a black tea note. The overwhelming oak notes have subdued and been joined by dark chocolate notes. This is really good.
And this is why I try to never review anything from the first pour out of the bottle. Well, unless the bottle is small enough that there is only the first pour in there. You really need to live with a whiskey to see if you like it sometimes.
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