Compare
Maker's Mark vs Russell’s Reserve 10 Year
Comparing Maker's Mark and Russell’s Reserve 10 Year reveals a matchup between a traditional, wheated Kentucky staple and a traditional, spice-driven Kentucky staple.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Maker's Mark | Russell’s Reserve 10 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 10 years |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 90 proof (45% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$25 – $32 ~$17 less | ~$40 – $50 |
- 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.
Russell’s Reserve 10 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Maker's Mark Russell’s Reserve 10 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 2/6 spice: Maker's Mark 2 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 10 Year 6 out of 10
oak 4/8 oak: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 10 Year 8 out of 10
sweetness 8/6 sweetness: Maker's Mark 8 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 10 Year 6 out of 10
heat 3/4 heat: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 10 Year 4 out of 10
fruit 4/4 fruit: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 10 Year 4 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 10 Year 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.
- Russell’s Reserve 10 Year: Ten years of Wild Turkey at a restrained 90 proof, which trades the 101's punch for polish. More oak and more composure, and one of the better age-stated bottles at its price.
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 Russell’s Reserve 10 Year if you want an age-stated, oak-forward Wild Turkey with the volume turned down.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark); neat, rocks (Russell’s Reserve 10 Year).