Whiskeytemple_Vladimir 
Оценка: 91/100.
П.С. Редакция от септември 2016г: доколкото разбрах ограничени количества от Maker`s 46 се очакват и в България в идните месеци.
Maker`s 46 Kentucky straight bourbon
I present to you one of the tastiest bourbons, which I’ve drunk so far – Maker`s 46 is known as a special limited edition of Maker`s Mark bourbon whisky. I start this presentation backwards, but I can safely say that „46“ made my head spin just when I opened the bottle. Really great yumminess, which, however, is a dream for us in Bulgaria. And not just for us. Production is really limited and the stocks in Europe are almost exhausted. My minutes of corn fame are due to several friends, who have acquired the bottle from the United States and provided me with material for review. Maybe like some of you, I would immediately have bought at least a few of it, as it costs around 60$, but unfortunately, this probably won’t happen soon.
But before I write what makes the liquid so special, some facts about the brand. Maker`s Mark is a type of bourbon produced in Kentucky, whose roots can be found in the late 18th century. The emergence of the brand is associated with Robert Samuels, who in 1783, started distilling whiskey for his personal needs. Later was founded distillery, which began commercial production of bourbon. In fact, this familiar distillate is presented relatively soon – in 1958, when the successor of the Samuels family – Bill Samuels, began producing Maker`s Mark in the purchased by him Burks Distillery in Loretto, Kentucky. The 60’s and 70’s bring glorious times for the brand, as in 1974 the distillery is designated as a National Historic Landmark. It was later purchased by the Canadian company „Hiram Walker“, and later by Jim Beam, as today it is considered a standard for quality and consistency. Moreover, people from Maker`s Mark have refused to follow the trend and launch new products. But they finally gave up and so appeared the wonderful Maker`s 46. A few words about it.
What makes it so unique? The distillate? No! The drink inside is similar to that in the standard bottle of Maker`s Mark. Only with higher alcohol content – 47%. The special thing about it is that it spends the final 10 weeks of maturation in oak barrels, which have 10 seared French oak staves affixed to the inside and are specially prepared by Brad Boswell – the craftsman who takes care of the Maker`s Mark’s barrels. After placing them, the bourbon is put back in the barrels and aged for 10 more weeks in the coldest part of the warehouse. And finally, after 6-7 years of aging the magic is completed. But it doesn’t happen on the first try – the name of the bourbon comes from the number of not-so-successful attempts before the „winning“. Most important is the final result, of course, which in my opinion is impressive.
Aroma – even while I was pouring the bourbon, my glass „filled“ with smell of cherries /and it is still March/. So many cherries, which we can meet as an add to Jim Beam Red Stag. Woodiness, butter, spiciness, baked cherry pie, cherry liqueur, vanilla, caramel, a hint of „cupboard“, freshness of pine forest or pine needles, sweetness, dried fruits /dried figs/, light oranges and coffee. I added water to the final sips, but my advice is not to do so, notwithstanding the high alcohol content. The whiskey diluted and the aroma didn’t bring new beauties. Maybe slight spiciness and coffee. Taste – marvelous, liqueuriness, abundant sweetness and butter, density, for which suggested the ‘legs“ on the side of the glass. The mouth immediately has filled with saliva. Weak spiciness, strong fruity notes. With water – spicy fondling on the tip of the tongue, cherries, more sweetness and liqueur. Finish – medium to long, tender, velvety, peaches, lots of butter again /of that real and tasty one/, sweetness, honey, pancakes, jam, which I associated with wild strawberries. With water – light bitterness and ginger, but the hints of butter dominate.
Assessment: 91/100.
