Compare
Maker's Mark vs Larceny Small Batch
Comparing Maker's Mark and Larceny Small Batch is a closer contest than it looks — both are wheated bourbons, separated mainly by personal preference more than spec.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Maker's Mark | Larceny Small Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley | 68% corn, 20% wheat, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 92 proof (46% ABV) +2 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$25 – $32 | ~$25 – $32 |
- 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.
Larceny Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Maker's Mark Larceny Small Batch
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
fruit 4/5 fruit: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Larceny Small Batch 5 out of 10
sweetness 8/8 sweetness: Maker's Mark 8 out of 10, Larceny Small Batch 8 out of 10
spice 2/2 spice: Maker's Mark 2 out of 10, Larceny Small Batch 2 out of 10
oak 4/4 oak: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Larceny Small Batch 4 out of 10
heat 3/3 heat: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Larceny Small Batch 3 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Larceny Small Batch 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
These two land close together on every flavor axis — the differences are in texture and proof more than character.
- 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.
- Larceny Small Batch: Heaven Hill's everyday wheater and the most affordable way into the style. Soft honey and butterscotch with almost no spice, and a texture that makes the low price hard to argue with.
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 Larceny Small Batch if you want an easy, sweet, genuinely inexpensive wheated bourbon.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark); neat, rocks, cocktails (Larceny Small Batch).