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Maker's Mark vs Journeyman Featherbone Bourbon
Comparing Maker's Mark and Journeyman Featherbone Bourbon is a closer contest than it looks — both are wheated bourbons, separated mainly by price (~$25 – $32 vs. ~$45 – $55).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Maker's Mark | Journeyman Featherbone Bourbon |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley | 70% corn, 5% rye, 25% wheat |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 90 proof (45% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$25 – $32 ~$22 less | ~$45 – $55 |
- 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.
Journeyman Featherbone Bourbon
Didn't care for this one.
Flavor Profile
Maker's Mark Journeyman Featherbone Bourbon
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
sweetness 8/6 sweetness: Maker's Mark 8 out of 10, Journeyman Featherbone Bourbon 6 out of 10
spice 2/4 spice: Maker's Mark 2 out of 10, Journeyman Featherbone Bourbon 4 out of 10
heat 3/5 heat: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Journeyman Featherbone Bourbon 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/2 nuttiness: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Journeyman Featherbone Bourbon 2 out of 10
oak 4/4 oak: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Journeyman Featherbone Bourbon 4 out of 10
fruit 4/4 fruit: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Journeyman Featherbone Bourbon 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Sweetness is where these two part ways.
- 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.
- Journeyman Featherbone Bourbon: An organic, wheat-heavy bourbon from a Michigan craft distillery. It stays round and caramel sweet on the palate with a peppery edge, while the nose is quiet and still a little young.
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 lower price point.
- Go with Journeyman Featherbone Bourbon if you want an organic, Midwest craft wheater with a round, caramel-forward body.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark); rocks, old-fashioned, cocktails (Journeyman Featherbone Bourbon).