Maker’s Mark 46 vs Woodford Reserve Double Oaked: Head to Head!

Discover the differences between Maker’s Mark 46 vs Woodford Reserve Double Oaked in this in-depth comparison and decide which bourbon is better for You!

Maker’s Mark 46

Nose	Oak, cherry, vanilla, fruity notes
Palate	Oak, cherry, vanilla, caramel
Finish	Medium-length, oak, cherry, spice
Alcohol content	94 proof (47% ABV)
How to drink	Add water, rocks
Similar to	Maker’s Mark 101, Buffalo Trace

Taste is rich in wood at first but the vanilla comes in quick and delivers a really nice taste to it. It stays creamy and moves into a cherry flavor with some caramel.

The finish is long with very little warmth, with oaky notes, cherry and a drizzle of spice.

Maker’s Mark 46 has many of the tasting notes of the regular Maker’s Mark which should not come as a surprise as they are the same bourbon.

The differences lies in the 46 being made by taking fully aged traditional Maker’s Mark at cask strength and inserting seared French oak staves into the barrels.

The bourbon finishes aging for around 6 months before bottling.

This process added a noticeable oaky hint to the bourbon that goes from the nose to the finish, while providing more vanilla and a more refined and tasty version of the old good Maker’s Mark.

So if you are fond of the regular version you are very likely to enjoy this one better.

Consider further options by reading my post: Discover the Best Maker’s Mark Bourbon where I rank every bottle!

There are a few facts worth knowing about the Maker’s Mark 46:

• Aged for around 6 and a half years.

• Made using the traditional Maker’s Mark corn, red winter wheat and barley mash bill.

• Maker’s bottles stand out from the rest due to the red wax seal that is still made by hand nowadays.

• his one of the few whiskey brands in the United States that uses “whisky” instead of “whiskey” in its name due to the founders Scottish heritage.

• Maker’s Mark is owned by Beam Suntory, a Japanese drinks giant who also owns Jim Beam and is headquartered in Osaka.

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked

Nose	Oak, butterscotch, vanilla, brown sugar
Palate	Vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, old leather
Finish	Long, vanilla, butterscotch, espresso coffee
Alcohol content	90 proof (45% ABV)
How to drink	Neat
Similar to	Woodford Reserve, Old Forester 1910

There is initial heat on the nose, but as you let it develop it brings oak, caramel, vanilla and brown sugar.

On the palate, the initial sip feels warm giving way to a rich vanilla flavor, with hints of caramel, brown sugar, old leather and barrel char.

The body offers a nice creamy texture. Finish is long and warming, rich in vanilla, butterscotch and a hint that reminds of an espresso coffee.

The additional barreling made the Woodford Reserve Double Oaked sweeter, richer in vanilla and butterscotch than the regular Woodford Reserve although a bit warmer but not harsh by any means.

This is the kinda heat that sits well warming the chest making it a very satisfying pour.

Drink it neat or drink it rocks. If you are looking for a mixer I would not use neither the traditional Woodford Reserve nor the Double Oaked but the Woodford Rye. Spicy spirits provide better cocktails.

Learn more about this brand by reading my post: Discover the Best Woodford Reserve Bourbon where I rank every release.

There are a few facts worth knowing about the Woodford Reserve Double Oaked:

• Aged for 7 years at first followed by a second aging of 9 months in barrels that have been toasted twice as long, but charred much more lightly than the other casks.

• Woodford’s mash bill is made from 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% barley; the rye content makes it a bit spicy.

• Earned the Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2013.

• Woodford Reserve is owned by Brown Forman who also owns Jack Daniel’s.

Price comparison

Prices are approximate and stated in USD:

Whiskey	Price
Maker’s Mark 46	$42
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked	$60

Maker’s Mark 46 vs Woodford Reserve Double Oaked: Which is better?

The Double Oaked is a deeper bourbon

Whiskey	Maker’s Mark 46	WR Double Oaked
Nose	✅	✅
Body	✅	✅
Palate	✅	✅
Finish		✅
Value	✅	✅

• Both pour are upgrades over their regular versions but the Woodford Reserve is more satisfying and complex than the Maker’s Mark 46.

• The Woodford Reserve displays more character and more interesting flavors. It feels a tad warm at first, but nothing terrible as just a drop of water is enough to open it up delivering additional sweetness.

• It’s also a better balanced bourbon where oak is not as heavy having other notes such as vanilla and butterscotch leading the pack.

The good news is that both are good so you can’t go wrong with whichever you choose!