With its new bottle design, Maker’s Mark 46 gravitates to the brand's standards. Gone is the unique bottle design that stood tall, instead now sharing the same bottle that the standard Maker’s Mark uses. They also switched to a paper label prominently featuring a gold foiled "French Oaked" and "Bill's Recipe" while shrinking the 46. Additionally, it has gone from a corked bottle to a screw top; a perplexing move for sure. Whether or not the cask strength, private select, and wood finishing series bottles eventually gain a similar redesign has yet to be seen, but for now, Maker’s Mark 46 lost a little bit of its specialness that helped it stand out on shelves. Maker’s 46 Cask Strength is the barrel proof version of the standard Maker’s 46. Maker’s 46 starts off as standard Maker’s Mark, which is a wheated bourbon made in batches of less than 1,000 gallons. Legend has it that Margie hand-dipped the first Maker’s Mark bottle in her home-fryer for that signature wax seal. I’d say it was worth ruining the fryer! Maker’s Mark Specs This is how Maker's 46 release should be - I find none of the gritty, aluminum, aspartame notes from the standard 46 release, and this is a winner.

According to the label on the Maker’s Mark bottle, Bill Samuels Senior wanted to create a bourbon that was soft, creamy, and full-bodied. Moderate mouthfeel, sweet caramel and honey. I like how diverse the palate is - from notes of marshmallow, pepper, a touch of tobacco. Not too sweet, not too savory, not too peppery. And of course, the bottle is sealed with that iconic red wax as well, the company does that with all their bottles, no matter the series.

I recommend the Maker’s Mark for a classic Old Fashioned but the Maker’s Mark 46 also makes a great Old Fashioned.

Sadly, the variety of Maker’s Mark bourbon available in South Africa is (currently) limited to these two releases only. So what is the difference between these two bottles? And what’s more iconic than the wax seal of a Maker’s Mark bottle? Margie chose that too, taking her inspiration from 19th-century cognac bottles, which she also used to design the bottle shape itself!Full of vanilla, followed by sweet cherries and fresh red fruit. Cinnamon and toasted oak. A few drops of water brings butterscotch and warming nutmeg. Delicious and very easy drinking.