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Maker's Mark vs Penelope Rio
Comparing Maker's Mark and Penelope Rio reveals a matchup between a traditional, wheated Kentucky staple and a sourced, even-keeled blend.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Maker's Mark | Penelope Rio |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | Four-Grain Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley | 74% corn, 7% rye, 16% wheat, 3% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 98 proof (49% ABV) +8 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$25 – $32 ~$62 less | ~$80 – $100 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Limited |
- 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.
Penelope Rio
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Maker's Mark Penelope Rio
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 2/6 spice: Maker's Mark 2 out of 10, Penelope Rio 6 out of 10
fruit 4/6 fruit: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Penelope Rio 6 out of 10
heat 3/5 heat: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Penelope Rio 5 out of 10
sweetness 8/9 sweetness: Maker's Mark 8 out of 10, Penelope Rio 9 out of 10
oak 4/4 oak: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Penelope Rio 4 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Penelope Rio 3 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.
- Penelope Rio: Penelope's four-grain blend finished in honey barrels and then amburana wood. It tastes like a cinnamon roll: honey, gingerbread and sweet baking spice.
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 Penelope Rio if you want a honey-and-amburana-finished bourbon that tastes like a cinnamon roll with slightly more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark); neat, old-fashioned (Penelope Rio).