Maker's Mark Whisky: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

Maker's Mark Whisky

It seems as though I may have turned my back on Marker's Mark. While my score came in higher than the average, it still didn't raise the mean by all that much. I used to be a fan, so I'm not sure what happened. Perhaps I had just been a victim of marketing or perhaps I really just never compared it to anything but Jack Daniels while at a wedding reception. Also, it could be a sense of nostalgia because I've actually been to their distillery (speaking of distillery tours, want to join me on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail this summer?). Still, the scores for Maker's surprised me. You can of course find it at Lock & Key ($7) and try it for yourself, but be aware that if you drink it next to other bourbons, you might have remorse like I do!

The nose gives off a very generic aroma of vanilla, caramel, and oak. It is light and soft and really uninteresting. On the tongue you get a hay and grassy harshness. There is very little sweetness but some warming heat and a touch of spice. It is no wonder that I've always liked Maker's and Coke when I have to drink whiskey in that fashion. With very little inherent sweetness, it doesn't make the drink extra syrup with the addition of soda. Over the whisky (yes, they use the Scotch spelling) has one big note. It is a dry, simple tailgating kind of bourbon with a pretty decent price point. Enjoy it in mixed drinks, otherwise don't bother.

Maker's Mark Whisky
Average Score: 47.67

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar. Lock & Key has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys available for on premise consumption. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote from Bite and Booze, Arthur Lauck from Lock & Key, and Jeremy Spikes. Using our own proprietary scoring system, whiskeys are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, Balance and Complexity, and "Bang for the Buck" which should encompass the whiskey's overall value. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y (though not undrinkable, you'd let somebody buy you one) while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss, anything above 80 is rather extraordinary, and anything above 90 is world class.