Maker’s Mark SE4-PR5
Following the successful 2019 release of Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series RC6, Maker’s released a second iteration: SE4-PR5. Now, don’t get bogged down in the alphanumeric name - it’s just the stave profiles used. In RC6, Maker’s used a single stave profile to create a new version of what is effectively a Maker’s Mark Private Selection done by Maker’s Mark itself.
2020 was a special year for Maker’s, though - it was the 10-year anniversary of Maker’s Mark 46, the first new recipe produced by Maker’s Mark since their founding. The 46 references the stave profile used: 10 seared virgin French oak staves added into a barrel of cask strength Maker’s Mark and aged for an extra two months or so.
In deciding on the 2020 release (eventually to be SE4-PR5), the Maker’s team tried around 120 different stave combinations and profiles. The SE4 represents virgin French oak, baked in a medium-heat convection oven and toasted for a short time - according to Maker’s, this stave profile gives heavy caramel influence on top of the already caramel-forward wheated bourbon underneath. The PR5 is virgin American oak, also baked in a convection oven but at a lower heat and for a longer time with an additionally long toasting period.
As per the press release, the final mix of staves is “13% of the SE4 stave aged for six weeks, 32% of the SE4 stave aged for five weeks, and 55% of the PR5 stave aged for four weeks.” The barrels were then rested for an additional period of time in Maker’s own limestone cellars. If this sounds like a lot of work and a lot of trial-and-error, it’s because it is.
So far, I’m a fan of the Wood Finishing Series from Maker’s Mark. The team is clearly doing their homework, and I mean that as a compliment. At $60, it’s not about creating something that is premium priced, and it’s refreshing to find a special, limited-release bourbon that is readily available (or was, since this was 2020) and fairly priced.
Maker’s Mark SE4-PR5: Specs
Classification: Wheated Bourbon
Origin: Maker’s Mark Distillery
Mashbill: 70% Corn 16% Wheat, 14% Barley
Proof: 110.8 (55.4% ABV)
Age: NAS
Location: Kentucky
Maker’s Mark SE4-PR5 Price: $60
Maker’s Mark SE4-PR5 Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Manuka honey. Thin rim and droplet legs.
Nose: Oaky, orange zest and rind. Milk chocolate, nose opens up after some air.
Palate: Spicy chocolate - dark with chilies, mouthwatering. Corn sweetness rolls over the tongue and leaves thick hot chocolate. Red berries pop after a few sips with a custardy, rich taste. Mouthfeel is coating, filling, and a hint of tingle.
Finish: Reveals more strawberries amid the chocolate, bringing a pop of fruity acidity and sweetness that begs for another sip.
Overall: A fantastic finished product. This just keeps evolving - the wood is never more than a body and background note while the flavors build and build.
Final Rating: 7.8
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)
3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)
2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)
1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)
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