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Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon vs Maker's Mark
Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon and Maker's Mark sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a sourced, classically built blend versus an old-guard, wheat-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon | Maker's Mark |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) +10 proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$85 – $100 | ~$25 – $32 ~$64 less |
- Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Maker's Mark
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon Maker's Mark
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
fruit 8/4 fruit: Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 8 out of 10, Maker's Mark 4 out of 10
spice 5/2 spice: Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 5 out of 10, Maker's Mark 2 out of 10
oak 6/4 oak: Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 6 out of 10, Maker's Mark 4 out of 10
heat 5/3 heat: Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 5 out of 10, Maker's Mark 3 out of 10
nuttiness 5/3 nuttiness: Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 5 out of 10, Maker's Mark 3 out of 10
sweetness 8/8 sweetness: Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 8 out of 10, Maker's Mark 8 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Fruit character is what sets these apart.
- Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon: Finished in Oloroso sherry, Pedro Ximenez sherry and Cognac casks. The casks layer dried fruit, orange and dark chocolate over the bourbon and leave a long, clove-spiced finish.
- Maker's Mark: The bottle that made wheated bourbon mainstream. Soft, sweet, and deliberately low on spice and oak, with baked bread and honey doing most of the work. Consistency is its real feature.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon if you want a sherry-and-Cognac-finished bourbon full of dried fruit and dark chocolate with more proof behind it.
- Go with Maker's Mark if you want a reliably sweet, low-spice wheater that is easy to find and easy to drink at a significantly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat (Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon); neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark).