Maker's Mark Private Selection OHLQ "Chocolate Marmalade"

If Willy Wonka created a bourbon...

By Not Masters of Malt

January 4^th, 2021

FROM THE DISTILLER...

Maker's Mark:

"Maker's Mark Private Selection offers a new take on the Maker's Mark 46™ process. It begins with cask-strength Maker's Mark® and is aged for nine additional weeks in barrels specially fitted with 10 wood-finishing staves in our limestone cellar. Where Private Selection separates itself from Maker's Mark 46 is barrel customization using five different stave types. This results in over 1,001 different possible combinations. As a single-barrel bourbon, all expressions of Maker's Mark Private Selection are bottled at cask strength – which ranges from 108-114 proof."

Review of the process here

Maker's Mark Private Selection OHLQ "Chocolate Marmalade"

BEHIND THE BOTTLE:

I'm a bit of a fanboy when it comes to anything Maker's Mark. They have done an excellent job of updating their offerings to cover several price ranges with solid tasting bourbon. This particular bottle is an OHLQ pick from the Private Selection wood finishing series. Ohio Liquor picked six different stave profile combinations for release this year. Chocolate Marmalade is finished with 2 "Baked American Pure", 2 "Seared French Cuvee", and 6 "Roasted French Mocha" staves. So let's see how this one stacks up...

REVIEW:

Price (7/10):

$69.99 retail from a Columbus, OH Giant Eagle. This falls right in line with other limited offerings from Maker's Mark and other distilleries.

Nose (8/10):

Cherry cordial and baking spice with an ethanol punch that gives away its proof. The longer it sits the more the chocolate notes open up and the ethanol fades to the background.

Palate (7/10):

A good balance of both dry and sweet elements with notes of chocolate covered cherries and raisins along with oak and tannins. You can see some similarities to Maker's 46 cask strength here.

Finish (9/10):

This is where this pour really shines! It was one of the most enjoyable finishes of 2020. High percent cacao chocolate, oak, tobacco, and smoke lingers on the tongue and palate forever. A bit like an alcoholic cappuccino in the best possible way.

Aesthetics (4/5):

The red wax seal and bottle dip are a dead giveaway for it to be a bottle from Maker's Mark. Also providing the stave profile on the front label offers a nice touch. It shares almost everything in common with their yearly Wood Finishing series which makes it stand out.

Availability (2/5):

This is an exclusive Ohio Liquor barrel profile. If you have not already picked one up, chances are high that it would only be found on the secondary market. However, with six different expressions available at release, it may be possible to find one or two hanging out on shelves still around the state.

Overall (37/50): Top Shelf

Final Verdict:

Chalk up another win for Ohio Liquor and their picks. I think it was a smart decision to lean so heavily into the Roasted French Mocha stave profile because it gives the whisky such an excellent finish. Some other reviewers have had similar things to say about the five other available picks so if you are a fan of wheated bourbon it's hard to not highly recommend this one.