Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series 2021 FAE-01

While I am not an expert distiller, my initial reaction to Maker's Mark's practice of finishing bourbon with wood staves—inserting the same staves coopers use for barrels loosely into existing bourbon barrels—was skepticism. It felt unnatural, as if the bourbon was being altered improperly. However, my taste buds soon changed my mind, as I found Maker's 46 to be excellent. MM continues this approach with its Private Selection series, which employs five distinct staves, allowing for 1,001 unique combinations. More recently, MM launched its "Wood Finishing Series," featuring one release in 2019 and one in 2020, followed by two in 2021: FAE-01 in the spring and FAE-02 in the fall. I have sampled (and enjoyed) both FAE-01 and -02; however, due to scarcity, I only possess FAE-01. The staves are French oak, with charring on only one side, exposing the bourbon to both intense char and unprocessed wood (air-dried, not kiln-dried) on either face of the stave. Exhibits a clear, classic tawny burnt orange hue. The nose reveals dried apricot, brown sugar, vanilla, buttered pancakes, raw split oak, and a hint of ethanol (110.6 proof). The palate possesses a viscous, glycerin-like texture, with notes of walnuts and oaky vanilla, concluding with leather and additional oaky vanilla. The oak is prominent, but in a pleasing manner. Surprisingly minimal warmth for a 110.6 proof spirit. MM FAE-01 was recognized as Whisky Advocate's #2 whisk(e)y of 2021, with a suggested retail price of $60. Current online prices range from $120-160. Note: All spirits were tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

Nose: Abundant vanilla pudding and oak, with darker berries and perhaps currants in the background. Palate: The texture is creamy and buttery. It begins with a sweet corn on the cob taste that quickly shifts to the vanilla pudding noted on the nose. Red fruit and vanilla wafer appear towards the end, all enveloped in rich caramel sauce. It's reminiscent of bread pudding, then transitions to a cola-like finish. Plenty of wood is present, but in a pleasant, comforting way. Finish: Long and smooth with no harshness, yet enough character to indicate the alcohol content. It's oaky and sweet, concluding with a hint of cherry cola. It evokes warmth and contentment. Overall: This bourbon is a success! The aroma and texture are excellent. It delivers traditional bourbon flavors amplified significantly. Some might criticize it for a lack of complexity, but sometimes the strength lies in letting the bourbon speak for itself traditionally. I believe the stave selection contributes significantly to the creaminess and a slight dryness on the finish compared to standard Maker's Mark at cask strength. Definitely recommended. It's one of those limited releases that won't break the bank on the secondary market and will likely surpass bottles costing triple the price.

The 2019 and 2020 limited edition Maker's Mark bottlings were excellent, particularly the latter. Let's hope Maker's Mark can continue this positive trend with this 55.15% powerhouse. Let's examine the 2021 version. Nose: Cherry, vanilla, brown sugar, and caramel. Toffee and some coffee bean. Mocha and maple. Graham cracker, vanilla frosting, and toffee. Cinnamon red hots and some ethanol. Ginger spice. Oak. Palate: Caramel and vanilla. Cherry and milk chocolate. Mocha and maple. Toffee and coffee bean. Dried apricot. Blackberry. Leather. Banana. Ripe and unripe. Graham cracker. Gala apple, cranberry, and raisin. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Cherry, dried apricot, gala apple, cranberry, and raisin. Caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, graham cracker, toffee, and banana. Cinnamon (the spice and red hots), black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. It's a lengthy finish. This is a success. It combines the profile of the 2019 release with the quality and strength of the 2020. Overall, it scores similarly to the latter, with a slight preference for the 2020. Incidentally, this is rated 4.5/5. At $70, it's a great value. Well done, Maker's Mark.

Maker's Mark, a prominent US Bourbon producer, introduced FAE-01, a Cask Strength expression using "Stave finishing." This involves adding an extra stave to the maturing cask. The FAE-01 utilizes this extra stave, partially seared and partially raw, bottled at 55.3% ABV (110.6 proof) with an appealing red hue. The nose offers a delightful red fruit syrup, reminiscent of bubblegum and maraschino cherries, with marshmallow and maple syrup notes. The palate delivers strawberry hard candy and cherry syrup, along with maple. The aftertaste is full of fruitiness and sour prunes, plus cotton candy. Overall, this is an exceptionally flavorful bourbon, possibly the fruitiest I've encountered. All flavor notes are distinct and enjoyable. I'm highly impressed and didn't anticipate it being this good. Despite its straightforward nature, the taste and aroma parallels are striking. It's one of the finest bourbons I recall, earning a score of 96 out of 100. Remarkable.

Nose: Intense ethanol that persists. With swirling and further nosing, floral fruit emerges, like a spring garden, but it's faint and the burn is noticeable. A slight touch of chocolate is also present. Taste: A strong burn upon entry, followed by complex flavors including graham cracker, banana bread, oak, and apricot. Finish: An exceptionally long finish, among the longest I've experienced in a bourbon. The flavor lingers and evolves subtly, with the fruit notes remaining the most persistent. Value: Limited edition bourbons command a premium. This is very reasonably priced for a unique, limited release from Maker's. However, I'm uncertain if this suits my preference for more complex bourbons. I'd lean towards Rare Breed or WRDO instead. (MSRP $60)

I've had this bottle open for at least 4-5 months, possibly longer, and I'm struggling to understand the high ratings. It's good, not bad, but just above average, particularly when compared to other Maker's offerings. For instance, I found a cask strength version, bottled at 109.4 proof, to be preferable. It aligns with most other Maker's products. Perhaps my next purchase will be a Maker's 46 CS, as I haven't tried that one yet. I can't advise against purchasing this, but I wouldn't actively seek it out either. 3/25/22