Tasting Tuesday: A Maker’s Mark Triple Threat

Standard Maker’s Mark vs. Maker’s Mark 46 vs. Maker’s Mark Heart Release 2024

This week’s Tasting Tuesday is a battle of three familiar names from the same family tree:

Maker’s Mark (standard)
Maker’s Mark 46
Maker’s Mark Heart Release 2024

I’ve mixed them into a blind, though I don’t expect to be fooled for long. These three are different enough—in proof, profile, and purpose—that the tells should show up fairly quickly once we get past the first sip.

Color

Glass A is surprisingly rich in color, but C is a shade darker and just a bit more inviting. B isn’t bad, but it’s clearly running behind the other two.

1st – C | 2nd – A | 3rd – B

Nose

A opens nicely—caramel, vanilla, oak, and a hint of butterscotch. It’s pleasant and familiar, though not mind-blowing.
B offers a similar profile, but noticeably lighter and less expressive.
Then there’s C, the wildcard. Dark chocolate jumps out immediately, backed by toffee, a touch of oak, and a hint of berries.

The order is starting to feel predictable.

1st – C | 2nd – A | 3rd – B

Palate

That buttery note continues with A, followed by light oak and chocolate-covered cherries. Most of those same flavors appear in B, just dialed back across the board.

Then we get to C. The oak steps forward a little sooner than expected, but it doesn’t overwhelm the dark chocolate and molasses underneath. Black cherry eventually joins the party.

A comes close here—really close—but doesn’t quite crest the hill.

1st – C | 2nd – A | 3rd – B

Complexity

Let’s clear B first: pleasant, but basic.
A isn’t dramatically different—there are layers, but they don’t run especially deep.

C, on the other hand, has far more going on: heat, a touch of spice, sweet and bitter notes playing off each other, chocolate and fruit sharing the stage. It’s simply operating on a different level.

1st – C | 2nd – A | 3rd – B

Mouthfeel

Once again, B finishes last. It’s fine, just not in the same league as the other two.

A surprises here with a creamy texture that’s richer than expected—arguably the best thing about this pour.

C is very good, but just a hair behind A in this category.

1st – A | 2nd – C | 3rd – B

Finish

Another mild surprise: A doesn’t linger as long as expected. The chocolate hangs on briefly but fades too quickly.

B outlasts A here, bringing a bit more depth than anticipated.

Then there’s C. The oak stays present, but it’s integrated with dark chocolate and black cherry in a way that’s deeply satisfying and long-lasting.

1st – C | 2nd – B | 3rd – A

The Finish Line

1st – C (17 points)
2nd – A (12 points)
3rd – B (7 points)

The Reveal

No label-checking required:

A – Maker’s Mark 46
B – Maker’s Mark (standard)
C – Maker’s Mark Heart Release 2024

(And yes—the stickers on the bottoms confirmed it.)

Final Thoughts

No real surprises in terms of the winner. The Heart Release 2024 is clearly the most powerful and complex of the three, and it earns its place as an occasional, special-pour bottle.

But here’s the real takeaway: Maker’s Mark 46 is a hell of a bargain.
For under $40, it delivers richness, balance, and enough complexity to feel like a step up without feeling precious. It’s a true everyday hero.

And the standard Maker’s Mark? At under $25, it remains one of the most versatile bourbons on my shelf.
Neat? Maybe.
On a cube? Absolutely.
As a mixer or in an Old Fashioned? Without question.

Jim Beam bourbons that carry the Beam name can be hit-or-miss, but several Beam-Suntory labels are undeniable home runs. Last week it was Old Grand-Dad. This week, it’s Maker’s Mark.

Parts of the Beam family continue to give us very good reasons to keep that brand firmly in mind.