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Maker's Mark vs 1792 Small Batch
Maker's Mark and 1792 Small Batch sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, wheat-forward classic versus an old-guard, rye-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Maker's Mark | 1792 Small Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 93.7 proof (46.9% ABV) +4 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$25 – $32 | ~$26 – $34 |
- 1792 Small Batch does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Maker's Mark
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
1792 Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Maker's Mark 1792 Small Batch
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 2/7 spice: Maker's Mark 2 out of 10, 1792 Small Batch 7 out of 10
sweetness 8/6 sweetness: Maker's Mark 8 out of 10, 1792 Small Batch 6 out of 10
oak 4/6 oak: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, 1792 Small Batch 6 out of 10
heat 3/5 heat: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, 1792 Small Batch 5 out of 10
fruit 4/5 fruit: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, 1792 Small Batch 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/4 nuttiness: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, 1792 Small Batch 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- 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.
- 1792 Small Batch: Barton's flagship and one of the most under-discussed bottles at its price. A high-rye character with cocoa and orange peel, and considerably more going on than the shelf position suggests.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Maker's Mark if you want a reliably sweet, low-spice wheater that is easy to find and easy to drink.
- Go with 1792 Small Batch if you want an overlooked, spice-forward Kentucky bourbon that punches above its price.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (1792 Small Batch).