Maker’s Mark Private Selection Nicholas Barrel Reserve #3

It’s actually a very time consuming process that takes a lot of concentration & a very good palate. I would suggest never buying a “Personal” barrel of Makers unless your really trust the person that’s blending that particular barrel. Some of my first blends in this process were just straight nasty.

But once I understood what each oak stave brought to the final blend I was able to zero in on what was IMHO the best Maker’s I ever tasted. I think I was blending and tasting for 3 hours and tried nearly 30 different blends.

That barrel sold out in 1 week. Makers asked me if I wanted to blend a 2nd barrel. I said “no chance, that was as good as I could do, make the 2nd the exact same as the first.” This is unique to Maker’s because if we blend the exact same way we can duplicate the barrel the same way a distillery gets a house style for their regular blend. As many of you experienced, that 2nd barrel tasted just like the 1st. We have been sold out of Makers NBR for 6 months. As you might guess, my 3rd barrel tastes just like barrels 1 & 2.

Stave Profile:
Baked American Pure: 3
Seared French Cuvee: 2
Maker’s Mark 46: 2
Roasted French Mocha: 3
Toasted French Spice: 0

Fragrant notes of toffee, caramel apple and coffee. Despite being high alc., it’s crazy smooth and seductive with vanilla and caramel notes and a creamy finish that delivers a super enjoyable slow burn.