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Maker's Mark vs Old Grand-Dad Bonded
Put Maker's Mark next to Old Grand-Dad Bonded and you have a classic, high-wheat stalwart set against a classic, high-rye stalwart.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Maker's Mark | Old Grand-Dad Bonded |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley | 63% corn, 27% rye, 10% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 4 years |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +10 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$25 – $32 | ~$24 – $30 |
- Old Grand-Dad Bonded 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.
Old Grand-Dad Bonded
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Maker's Mark Old Grand-Dad Bonded
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 2/8 spice: Maker's Mark 2 out of 10, Old Grand-Dad Bonded 8 out of 10
sweetness 8/5 sweetness: Maker's Mark 8 out of 10, Old Grand-Dad Bonded 5 out of 10
heat 3/6 heat: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Old Grand-Dad Bonded 6 out of 10
nuttiness 3/5 nuttiness: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Old Grand-Dad Bonded 5 out of 10
oak 4/5 oak: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Old Grand-Dad Bonded 5 out of 10
fruit 4/4 fruit: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Old Grand-Dad Bonded 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- 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 Grand-Dad Bonded: A bonded 100-proof high-rye bourbon for the price of a mixer, and one of the great bargains on the shelf. Cleaner and less overwhelming than the 114 while keeping the peppery rye backbone.
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 Grand-Dad Bonded if you want a bonded, high-rye workhorse at mixer money with more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark); neat, old-fashioned, cocktails (Old Grand-Dad Bonded).