Maker’s Mark Private Selection “BCL’s Mocha Revival”

Review by: The Muskox

Okay, I’ve now had the standard Maker’s, and thought it was pretty meh. Now to fast-track myself straight up to a Private Selection.

Distillery: Maker’s Mark.

Bottler: Official bottling.

Style/Region: Straight Bourbon / Kentucky.

ABV: 55.15%.

Age: No age statement. Bottled in April 2021.

Cask type: New charred oak, with various staves of American and French oak.

Price: N/A, sample.

Nose: Sweet and rich. Chewy caramel, burnt sugar, vanilla, and milk chocolate. Juicy red berries and orange. There’s a sweet and rich grain note that’d I’d normally call “malt” in my scotch reviews, but I guess it’s not really malt in this case. A hint of savoury smoke. There’s every component of a s’more in this nose.

Palate: Medium texture. Arrives sweet and rich with clove-studded orange, black plums, pomegranate, melted chocolate, and vanilla custard. It develops to cinnamon spice, rich charred oak, black pepper, and… Oh, there’s the mocha. Slightly herbal and musty on the back end. Old bookshelves.

Finish: Medium-length, sweet and chocolatey. More mocha – definitely prompted by the label, but it’s there. Chocolate-covered strawberries and sponge toffee. Lingering charred oak, sweet vanilla, and more of those plums.

Conclusion: This is really great. The heavy French oak has given the whiskey a beautifully rich spice and smoky-vanilla character that isn’t too sweet. What’s keeping this from a higher score… maybe overall depth and complexity, and a slightly longer finish?

I’ve long advocated the use of French oak for maturing scotch (which is very rare), but I’d never tried a French-oak-matured bourbon. Time to find some more of them, I think.

Final Score: 85.

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

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