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Maker's Mark vs E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch
Put Maker's Mark next to E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch and you have a classic, high-wheat stalwart set against a classic, corn-forward stalwart.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Maker's Mark | E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +10 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$25 – $32 ~$39 less | ~$45 – $90 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Allocated |
- E.H. Taylor Jr. 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.
E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Maker's Mark E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 2/5 spice: Maker's Mark 2 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 5 out of 10
oak 4/7 oak: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 7 out of 10
sweetness 8/6 sweetness: Maker's Mark 8 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 6 out of 10
heat 3/5 heat: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 5 out of 10
fruit 4/5 fruit: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/4 nuttiness: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. 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.
- E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch: Bottled-in-bond from the same low-rye Buffalo Trace recipe, and the extra 10 proof over standard BT gives it noticeably more grip. Butterscotch and tobacco with a long, drying finish that outlasts most bottles near its shelf price.
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 at a significantly lower price point.
- Go with E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch if you want the Buffalo Trace house profile with real structure and a bonded 100-proof backbone.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch).