Compare
Maker's Mark vs Wild Turkey 101
Comparing Maker's Mark and Wild Turkey 101 reveals a matchup between a traditional, wheated Kentucky staple and a traditional, spice-driven Kentucky staple.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Maker's Mark | Wild Turkey 101 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No age statement |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 101 proof (50.5% ABV) +11 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$25 – $32 | ~$25 – $30 |
- 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.
Wild Turkey 101
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Maker's Mark Wild Turkey 101
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 2/8 spice: Maker's Mark 2 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 8 out of 10
oak 4/7 oak: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 7 out of 10
heat 3/6 heat: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 6 out of 10
sweetness 8/6 sweetness: Maker's Mark 8 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 6 out of 10
fruit 4/4 fruit: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 4 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 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.
- Wild Turkey 101: The workhorse high-rye Kentucky bourbon and one of the best proof-to-price ratios anywhere. Vanilla and orange up front, then a genuinely spicy, peppery, tobacco-tinged middle that punches well above $25.
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.
- Go with Wild Turkey 101 if you want bold rye spice and real proof at the lowest price of anything comparable.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark); neat, rocks, old-fashioned, cocktails (Wild Turkey 101).