Here I sit at the official beginning of a new season, getting ready to review the last special Maker’s Mark offering I currently have in my home bar…but never fear…a month from now I’ll be heading back to the Bardstown, Kentucky area and hope to come back with a bunch of new goodies. This review probably won’t even post until after that happens, though.
What we have today is a Maker’s Mark Private Selection called Four Square. I was told that it was named for the four stores that received a share of it. I got mine from Harry’s on Signal Mountain Boulevard in Chattanooga. It is a stave-finished bourbon, using 3 Baked American Pure, 2 Seared French Cuvée, 2 Maker’s Mark 46, and 3 Toasted French Spice staves. It is bottled at 112.3 proof, or 56.15% alcohol.
Like all the Maker’s Mark Private Selections, it was medium-dark amber in the glass. Passing it under my nose, I got aromas of baking spice (especially cinnamon), vanilla, and caramel. This PS release did lean more toward the sweeter side of the Marker’s profile, with honey and brown sugar notes, but there was some slightly bitter or sour notes in there, as well, that I wasn’t as much a fan of. It didn’t drink quite as high as the proof indicates, though, which I found strange. A friend had shared a PS release with me the other night; that one is 108 proof and drinks hotter than this.
All in all, I think this is probably my least favorite Maker’s Mark Private Selections or Wood Finishing Series that I have bought…although that one from the other night and one that I had a few months ago (a hospitality company’s barrel) were lesser than this one. Saying that may sound like a negative, but it’s really not. If this was the first time I had tried a PS from Maker’s, I would probably be through the roof on it…but I’ve had the Panna Cotta, Heart Release, and Vanilla Bean Cheesecake, all of which I would rank above this one. Still a solid release and highly recommended.
