Maker's Mark 46 Bourbon

Maker's Mark 46 is the first major line extension Maker's Mark ever released — fully matured standard Maker's Mark (a wheated bourbon at 90 proof) that's then given a secondary maturation with seared French oak staves placed directly inside the barrel. The staves add a richer, more vanilla-forward, baking-spice-driven finish on top of the soft wheated base. Where standard Maker's Mark Bourbon ($37.09) lands on a delicate honey-and-caramel profile, the 46 release adds noticeable layers of toasted oak, dark caramel, and warm cinnamon spice without compromising the wheated softness. Bottled at 94 proof.

On the nose: caramel, toasted oak, brown sugar, baking spice, and a touch of dried orange peel. The palate opens with vanilla, then layers in dark caramel, cinnamon, toffee, and a hint of cocoa from the seared French oak staves. The finish is longer and warmer than standard Maker's Mark — the 94 proof brings noticeably more presence — while the soft wheated mouthfeel is fully preserved. It's the bottle that converts standard-Maker's drinkers into wheated-bourbon enthusiasts.

Yes. Maker's Mark 46 starts as standard Maker's Mark — a wheated bourbon, meaning wheat is the secondary grain in the mashbill instead of the more common rye. After full maturation, ten seared French oak staves are added to the barrel for an additional 9 weeks of secondary aging. The base wheated DNA is preserved; the French oak staves layer in the additional structure. For another in-house wheated comparison, try W.L. Weller Special Reserve Bourbon ($59.99) — same wheated family, different distillery (Buffalo Trace) and a slightly different flavor school. Browse more in our Bourbon collection.

Both work, but the 94-proof French-oak-finished profile is built for cocktails that benefit from a richer base. Maker's Mark 46 makes one of the best wheated Old Fashioneds on the shelf — the seared French oak character meets a sugar-cube-and-bitters build perfectly. It's also exceptional in a Manhattan or a Boulevardier where the additional oak and spice cut through the vermouth. For straight sipping, pour over a single large rock to open up the secondary-finish notes. Our Memorial Day Old Fashioned batch guide includes wheated-bourbon batch ratios.

Same underlying profile — Maker's Mark fully matured, then finished with seared French oak staves. The standard Maker's Mark 46 is bottled at 94 proof. The cask-strength version is bottled uncut at full barrel proof, typically 110+ proof, giving you a much more concentrated, viscous expression of the same flavor framework. If you've enjoyed the standard 46 and want the same DNA at full power, see Maker's Mark 46 Cask Strength ($59.99) — the splurge slot in the Maker's Mark lineup.

The best Father's Day or birthday gift built around Maker's Mark 46 is a "wheated bourbon flight" pairing — Maker's Mark 46 alongside Weller Special Reserve ($59.99) and one of the higher-proof wheated picks like Maker's Mark 101 Proof ($44.99). The three-bottle setup lets the recipient run a wheated-bourbon comparison across three proof points, all on the same recipe family. For broader premium-bourbon gift ideas, see our 2026 Memorial Day premium bourbon gift guide. Browse the Best Sellers collection for the most popular gift-ready bottles.