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Maker's Mark vs Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon
Maker's Mark and Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, wheat-forward classic versus a blender-built, classically built bottling.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Maker's Mark | Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | Traditional 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) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +10 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$25 – $32 ~$64 less | ~$85 – $100 |
- Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 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.
Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Maker's Mark Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
fruit 4/8 fruit: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 8 out of 10
spice 2/5 spice: Maker's Mark 2 out of 10, Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 5 out of 10
oak 4/6 oak: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 6 out of 10
heat 3/5 heat: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/5 nuttiness: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 5 out of 10
sweetness 8/8 sweetness: Maker's Mark 8 out of 10, Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 8 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Fruit character is what sets these apart.
- 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.
- 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.
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 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.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark); neat (Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon).