Maker’s Mark 101 Review

Maker’s Mark 101
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
Special Proof
101 Proof
MSRP: $36.99-$41.99 avg price (750ml)
Review

Please enjoy our Maker’s Mark 101 Review!

From the distillery website: “Our founder himself, Bill Samuels, Sr., was the first fan of this high proof bourbon. Bill liked to tuck a little 101 aside for friends and special occasions.”

Maker’s Mark 101 Becomes Available In Travel Retail in 2018

Maker’s Mark 101 is a higher proof version of Maker’s Mark Bourbon. Whereas standard Maker’s Mark has a proof of 90, Maker’s Mark 101, has a proof of 101, as its name implies. While the Samuels and their friends may have enjoyed sipping on Maker’s 101, the general public did not have that privilege, until fairly recently. Maker’s Mark 101 first became commercially available in late 2018, however, it was only in the travel retail market. Interestingly, the MSRP at the time was $50 for 1 liter, which is essentially unchanged 6 years later.

Maker’s Mark 101 Becomes Available In The U.S.

In late 2020, Maker’s Mark 101 was released throughout the U.S. as a limited edition for the holidays. Back in those days, the packaging of 101 was a bit different that it is today. The bourbon came in an attractive cardboard box, and the bottle had gilded gold lettering, and no paper label. The more elegant appearance suited its stature as a special, limited release. Over time, as the whisky became more widely available, the packaging became more similar to Maker’s Mark’s other regular releases. It now bears a tan paper label, similar to Maker’s Mark and Maker’s Mark Cask Strength, and of course, Maker’s trademarked dripping red wax.

Technical Details

Maker’s Mark 101 bourbon starts off the same as all variants of Maker’s Mark, whether it be the “regular” 90 proof, Cask Strength or any of the Wood Finishing Series. They all are made from the same mash bill of 70% corn, 16% red winter wheat and 14% malted barley. Like the other bourbons (other than Cellar Aged), Maker’s Mark 101 is aged for 6+ years. However, the exact length of aging for each barrel is variable, as the distillery “ages to taste, not time”.

So, does that increase in 11 proof points (5.5 ABV) over standard Maker’s Mark really make a difference? We’re going to find out now!

Tasting Notes

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻Nose: Sweet pears, sweet dark cherries, dark caramel, brown sugar, light tart orange citrus & vanilla; light to medium alcohol vapor
👉🏻Taste: Dark cherries, brown sugar, light toffee, tart orange peel, mild tannins and dry wood
👉🏻Finish: Black pepper spice; mild lingering brown sugar, increasingly dry later on with dry wood, tannins and mild barrel char; faint orange peel; fairly long with moderate warmth

The nose leads with sweet pears and sweet cherries as the dominant flavors, with dark caramel, brown sugar, vanilla and tart orange citrus towards the back. In the taste, Maker’s Mark 101 has dark cherries, light toffee and brown sugar, but some tart orange peel and tannins appear fairly quickly as well. The long finish is somewhat dry, with dry wood, rising black pepper and tannins, with lingering tart orange citrus. Finally, dryness and a hint of barrel char are left at the end in the fairly long finish.

Conclusion

Makers Mark 101 is similar, yet different, to the standard 90 proof version. Many of the same flavors are there, but the balance and intensity are different. The sweet fruits up front, combined with the rich flavors of brown sugar, dark caramel and light toffee, make this an enticing and flavorful pour. However, dryness, light char and spice in the finish provide a nice contrast to the initial sweetness. If you enjoy the flavors of Maker’s Mark at 90 proof, but felt that it could use a little something more, then you’ll want to give Maker’s Mark 101 a try! Have you tried it? What did you think? Cheers!🥃

We hope you enjoyed our review! If you would like to learn more about the distillery, then check out our Maker’s Mark Distillery Tour Review. Also learn about some other Maker’s bourbons in our Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Bourbon Review and our Maker’s Mark Bourbon Whisky Review.

Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us? If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!