Compare
Maker's Mark vs W.L. Weller Special Reserve
Comparing Maker's Mark and W.L. Weller Special Reserve is a closer contest than it looks — both are wheated bourbons, separated mainly by price (~$25 – $32 vs. ~$30 – $60).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Maker's Mark | W.L. Weller Special Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | Wheated 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) | 90 proof (45% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$25 – $32 ~$17 less | ~$30 – $60 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Allocated |
- W.L. Weller Special Reserve 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.
W.L. Weller Special Reserve
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Maker's Mark W.L. Weller Special Reserve
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
sweetness 8/7 sweetness: Maker's Mark 8 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 7 out of 10
fruit 4/5 fruit: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 5 out of 10
spice 2/2 spice: Maker's Mark 2 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 2 out of 10
oak 4/4 oak: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 4 out of 10
heat 3/3 heat: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 3 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
These two land close together on every flavor axis — the differences are in texture and proof more than character.
- 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.
- W.L. Weller Special Reserve: The entry point to the Weller line and an easy introduction to wheated bourbon. Soft honey and vanilla with almost no rye bite, a bread-dough body, and a short, sweet finish that asks nothing of you.
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 W.L. Weller Special Reserve if you want the softest, sweetest, most approachable wheated pour of the group.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark); neat, rocks, highball (W.L. Weller Special Reserve).