Aroma - Pleasant, sweet, toasty oak nose with caramel overtones. More intense aroma without an alcohol nose. Taste - Rich, creamy seared-oak flavors; caramel and vanilla notes linger on the front of the palate, but it is still soft enough to hold on the tongue even at 94 proof. Finish - A big mouth-watering oaky finish. Long with a little spice, staying forward on the palate without the bitter bite found in older whiskies. History - Maker's 46 is the distillery's first new expression since the brand debuted in 1958. It's created by aging traditional Maker's Mark an additional 2-3 months in barrels containing a specially designed framework of oak staves. The staves are seared through high heat to add more oaky nuances. While it still dons the recognizable red wax-dipped seal, the new 94-proof release is a decidedly bigger, bolder version of itself.