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Maker's Mark vs Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon
Comparing Maker's Mark and Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon is a closer contest than it looks — both are wheated bourbons, separated mainly by price (~$25 – $32 vs. ~$40 – $45).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Maker's Mark | Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley | 75% corn, 15% wheat, 10% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 4 years |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) +3 proof | 87 proof (43.5% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$25 – $32 ~$14 less | ~$40 – $45 |
- 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.
Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon
Didn't care for this one.
Flavor Profile
Maker's Mark Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
sweetness 8/6 sweetness: Maker's Mark 8 out of 10, Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 6 out of 10
spice 2/2 spice: Maker's Mark 2 out of 10, Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 2 out of 10
oak 4/4 oak: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 4 out of 10
fruit 4/4 fruit: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 4 out of 10
heat 3/3 heat: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 3 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Sweetness is where these two part ways.
- 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.
- Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon: A farm-to-bottle wheater from northern Illinois. Soft red winter wheat keeps it gentle and bready, with caramel and vanilla up front and very little bite at 87 proof.
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 Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon if you want a soft, easygoing wheated bourbon made start to finish on one Midwest farm.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark); rocks, highball, cocktails (Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon).