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Maker's Mark vs Rowan's Creek
Comparing Maker's Mark and Rowan's Creek reveals a matchup between a traditional, wheated Kentucky staple and a traditional, even-keeled Kentucky staple.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Maker's Mark | Rowan's Creek |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 100.1 proof (50.0% ABV) +10 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$25 – $32 ~$17 less | ~$40 – $50 |
- Rowan's Creek 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.
Rowan's Creek
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Maker's Mark Rowan's Creek
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 2/7 spice: Maker's Mark 2 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 7 out of 10
sweetness 8/6 sweetness: Maker's Mark 8 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 6 out of 10
heat 3/5 heat: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/2 nuttiness: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 2 out of 10
oak 4/4 oak: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 4 out of 10
fruit 4/4 fruit: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 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.
- Rowan's Creek: A small-batch Willett bottling that tastes rye-forward and herbal. Honey and caramel sit under mint, hay and warm spice, with a peppermint lift on the finish.
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 Rowan's Creek if you want an herbal, minty, rye-forward Willett bottling with more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark); neat, old-fashioned, cocktails (Rowan's Creek).