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Maker’s Mark 46 vs Charles Goodnight Bourbon
Maker’s Mark 46 and Charles Goodnight Bourbon sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, wheat-forward classic versus an uncut, rye-forward heavyweight.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Maker’s Mark 46 | Charles Goodnight Bourbon |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon, Barrel Proof |
| Mash Bill | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley | 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 6 years |
| Proof | 94 proof (47% ABV) | 115 proof (57.5% ABV) +21 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$38 – $45 ~$36 less | ~$75 – $80 |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Maker’s Mark 46
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Charles Goodnight Bourbon
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Maker’s Mark 46 Charles Goodnight Bourbon
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
heat 4/8 heat: Maker’s Mark 46 4 out of 10, Charles Goodnight Bourbon 8 out of 10
spice 4/7 spice: Maker’s Mark 46 4 out of 10, Charles Goodnight Bourbon 7 out of 10
fruit 4/6 fruit: Maker’s Mark 46 4 out of 10, Charles Goodnight Bourbon 6 out of 10
sweetness 8/7 sweetness: Maker’s Mark 46 8 out of 10, Charles Goodnight Bourbon 7 out of 10
oak 7/8 oak: Maker’s Mark 46 7 out of 10, Charles Goodnight Bourbon 8 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Maker’s Mark 46 3 out of 10, Charles Goodnight Bourbon 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
These two land very differently on the palate for heat.
- Maker’s Mark 46: Finished with seared French oak staves inside the barrel, which adds the spice and wood that the standard bottling deliberately lacks. The most useful upgrade in the Maker's range.
- Charles Goodnight Bourbon: A barrel-strength Texas bourbon. The hot Texas climate pulls a lot of oak in six years, giving deep wood, brown sugar and dark fruit with plenty of rye spice.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Maker’s Mark 46 if you want the softness of Maker's Mark with real oak and spice layered over it at a significantly lower price point.
- Go with Charles Goodnight Bourbon if you want a bold, oak-heavy Texas bourbon at barrel strength with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Maker’s Mark 46); neat, rocks (Charles Goodnight Bourbon).