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Maker's Mark vs Old Forester 100 Proof
Maker's Mark and Old Forester 100 Proof 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 | Old Forester 100 Proof |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley | 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +10 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$25 – $32 | ~$26 – $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.
Old Forester 100 Proof
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Maker's Mark Old Forester 100 Proof
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 2/6 spice: Maker's Mark 2 out of 10, Old Forester 100 Proof 6 out of 10
oak 4/6 oak: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Old Forester 100 Proof 6 out of 10
heat 3/5 heat: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Old Forester 100 Proof 5 out of 10
sweetness 8/7 sweetness: Maker's Mark 8 out of 10, Old Forester 100 Proof 7 out of 10
fruit 4/5 fruit: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Old Forester 100 Proof 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Old Forester 100 Proof 3 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.
- Old Forester 100 Proof: The bottle most people should buy from this range: the same recipe as the 86 with enough proof to actually taste it. One of the strongest arguments on the shelf for spending six dollars more.
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 Old Forester 100 Proof if you want the best value in the Old Forester range and a superb old-fashioned base.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark); neat, rocks, old-fashioned, cocktails (Old Forester 100 Proof).