I’d like to thank the PR folks at Maker’s Mark for providing a review sample to me with no strings attached. Please note that the proof of the provided sample is slightly less than the finished product will be (110.0° proof vs 110.8° proof).
Sooo…I was really dumb. I’m cold smoking some cheese using the A-Maze-N pellet smoker tray inside my new smoker, right? It smolders at a much cooler temp than the lowest temp I can set the smoker itself for. Well, I wasn’t wearing gloves. And when I went to pick up the tray, I used one hand to grab the cold side and then the other to steady the hot side.
Yeah. I have a nice dimple pattern melted into the tips of the thumb and forefinger of one of my left hand. It’ll be a nice reminder to WEAR FUCKING GLOVES from now on. And since it happened just before I set out to write this, I am going to type as little as possible during the review of the new Maker’s Mark Limited Release tonight. Here are a few pertinent quotes from the Press Release.
“Since the introduction of Maker’s Mark 46, wood staves have become our tool of choice for unlocking and amplifying natural flavors already present in our classic Maker’s Mark – always purposefully and with a specific taste vision in mind,” says Jane Bowie, Director of Innovation at Maker’s Mark. “Where Maker’s Mark 46 was about creating a ‘bolder’ Maker’s, and the 2019 release was all about boosting the notes of baking spice and fruit, our 2020 Limited Release has been a quest to amp up those rich vanilla and buttery-caramel flavors that typically stem from our unique approach to seasoning our barrel wood outside for a full year.”
This year’s limited offering differs from its 2019 predecessor by utilizing two stave styles – one drawing on vanilla, the other on caramel – that when married together yield a rich Maker’s Mark reminiscent of butter pecan. The multi-stave approach was the result of more than twelve months of experimentation with Maker’s Mark barrel producer Independent Stave Company. The first stave in the 2020 Limited Release, SE4, is made from Virgin French Oak, convection cooked at medium heat with a short toast period and responsible for much of the caramel flavor. The second stave, PR5, is made from Virgin American Oak and convection cooked at low heat very slowly over time to bring out vanilla.
Bottled at 110.8 proof, each 750mL bottle of the Maker’s Mark 2020 Limited Release will retail for a suggested $59.99 and will be available nationwide beginning in September, while supplies last.
Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series 2020: Stave Profile SE4 x PR5
Purchase Price: This was graciously provided by Maker’s Mark for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $59.99 for a 750 mL bottle.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.00
Details: 55% ABV (final release proof will be 55.4% ABV). Uses two new staves made from Virgin Toasted American and French Oak (SE4 and PR5, not sure which is which).
Nose: Spearmint, lots of toffee, some oak, and herbal cherry notes.
Mouth: Toffee, herbal cherry, cinnamon, oak, and nutmeg.
Finish: Medium to long and spicy. Strong notes of cinnamon along with herbal cherry and nutmeg.
Thoughts: This is really good. At first, there is just a ton of toffee. The herbal cherry notes threw me at first, but after a couple of sips, those spicy, herbal notes drew me in. Water amps up the sweetness and tames some of the herbal notes, bringing out even more toffee. I really like this one.
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