What is the “46” in Maker’s 46 Cask Strength?

The name 46 comes from the number of attempts it took Bill Samuels Jr to make the final version of Maker’s 46. However, right there on the Maker’s Mark website it says. “So, why 46? The wood-finishing experiments were the vision of Bill Samuels, Jr. who worked alongside Master Distiller Kevin Smith and the Independent Stave Company, Maker’s longtime cooperage. After finally finding the taste they were after, Bill Jr. learned the perfectly toasted French Oak stave they used was on file with the Independent Stave Company as “Stave Profile No. 46″.” So, that’s a completely different story, but apparently the truth!

So what proof is “Cask Strength”?

The original Maker’s 46 Bourbon is bottled at 94 proof. However, the Cask Strength version takes it up a notch. It is bottled at barrel proof, which will vary from year to year. Since Maker’s Mark enters the barrel at a relatively low 110 proof, and the barrels are rotated during aging, the final proof tends to not be all that high. The first release was bottled at 109.6 proof.