Maker's Mark is a wheated bourbon (wheat instead of rye as the secondary grain), bottled at 45% ABV, NAS but typically 6 to 7 years old, instantly recognisable by the red wax seal. The wheat makes it soft: vanilla, caramel, baked bread, a gentle oak, none of the rye spice of a Wild Turkey or Knob Creek. It is the bourbon you give as a gift, the bourbon that converts wine drinkers, the bourbon that's never wrong but rarely exciting.
Critically it sits as a competent, soft, mainstream bourbon. The community treats it as a baseline, with Maker's 46 (extra oak staves) and Cask Strength as the upgrades. For £25 to £35 it is a perfectly good easy-drinking bourbon; it just won't surprise anyone.
Buy this if you want a soft, sweet, gift-friendly bourbon. Skip it if you want the rye spice or any intensity. The right price is £25 to £35. The Maker's 46 at £5 to £10 more is the better bottle.
- vs Buffalo Trace: softer (wheated); BT has a touch more rye spice
- vs Four Roses Small Batch: simpler and sweeter; Four Roses is more complex and floral
- vs Wild Turkey 101: far gentler; Maker's is soft, WT is brash and high-proof
Positive on both axes, a credible recommendation.
- plusThe wheated softness makes it the easiest bourbon to drink. Converts wine drinkers.
- plusThe red wax seal is iconic. A gift bottle that always lands.
- plusGenuinely consistent. The bottle you buy in 2026 tastes like the one from 2016.
- caveatSoft to the point of bland. No rye spice, no intensity, no surprise.
- caveatNAS young spirit. Don't expect depth.
- caveatThe 46 and Cask Strength are clearly better. The standard Maker's is the entry.
- flagBeam Suntory's marketing leans hard on the 'hand-dipped wax, family recipe' artisan story. It's a mass-production product with a memorable bottle.
- flagPrice has crept up. The 'value bourbon' positioning is weaker than it was; £25 to £35 isn't the bargain it once was.