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Maker’s Mark Cask Strength vs Bulleit Bourbon
Comparing Maker’s Mark Cask Strength and Bulleit Bourbon reveals a matchup between an uncut, wheated heavyweight and a blender-built, spice-driven bottling.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Maker’s Mark Cask Strength | Bulleit Bourbon |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon, Barrel Proof | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley | 68% corn, 28% rye, 4% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 110 proof (55% ABV) +20 proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$40 – $50 | ~$25 – $32 ~$17 less |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Bulleit Bourbon
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Flavor Profile
Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Bulleit Bourbon
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
sweetness 9/5 sweetness: Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 9 out of 10, Bulleit Bourbon 5 out of 10
spice 3/7 spice: Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 3 out of 10, Bulleit Bourbon 7 out of 10
heat 7/4 heat: Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 7 out of 10, Bulleit Bourbon 4 out of 10
oak 5/5 oak: Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 5 out of 10, Bulleit Bourbon 5 out of 10
fruit 5/5 fruit: Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 5 out of 10, Bulleit Bourbon 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 3 out of 10, Bulleit Bourbon 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Sweetness is where these two part ways.
- Maker’s Mark Cask Strength: Undiluted Maker's, and the version that finally gives the wheated recipe some weight. Dense caramel and honey with real warmth, and one of the more affordable cask-strength bottles anywhere.
- Bulleit Bourbon: The bottle that put high-rye bourbon in every cocktail bar in the country. Peppery and dry with the familiar MGP dill note, and it earns its place behind the bar more than in a glass on its own.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Maker’s Mark Cask Strength if you want wheated sweetness at full strength for well under what most cask-strength bourbons cost.
- Go with Bulleit Bourbon if you want a dry, peppery, high-rye bourbon built for cocktails and available absolutely everywhere at a lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Maker’s Mark Cask Strength); old-fashioned, cocktails, highball (Bulleit Bourbon).