This review covers the standard Maker’s Mark, bottled at 45% ABV — not the 46, 101 or Cask Strength versions. I tasted the 700ml bottle sold in Japan, which is the same 45% strength sold in the US and the UK. I tasted it neat first, then with water, over ice and as a highball.
It’s a sweet-led bourbon: vanilla, honey and caramel come first, with orange and apple behind them and a little mint and cinnamon. The texture is oily and smooth, and for 45% it drinks gently on the palate, so it manages to be both easy-drinking and satisfying. Neat, though, it isn’t where it shines. In a tulip-shaped tasting glass the alcohol comes through more sharply, and I’d reach for a small shot glass instead; the finish is on the short side, and there isn’t much that makes it stand out. Mixed with soda it’s a different story — sweet, refreshing and very easy to drink.
It suits drinkers who like a sweet, smooth bourbon and mostly drink it long, as a highball. If you want a more refined, oak-led bourbon for sipping neat, see my Woodford Reserve review; for another sweet, vanilla-led everyday bourbon, Buffalo Trace. At The Whisky Exchange it was £28.95 for 70cl when checked on October 5, 2026; any price shown is a current-market reference and may change. For more, browse our Bourbon reviews.
