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Maker's Mark vs Willett Family Estate Small Batch 4 Year
Maker's Mark and Willett Family Estate Small Batch 4 Year sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, wheat-forward classic versus an undiluted barrel-strength pour.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Maker's Mark | Willett Family Estate Small Batch 4 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon, Barrel Proof |
| Mash Bill 1 | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley | 68% corn, 18% rye, 14% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 4 years |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 125.2 proof (62.6% ABV) +35 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$25 – $32 ~$42 less | ~$65 – $75 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Limited |
- Willett Family Estate Small Batch 4 Year 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.
Willett Family Estate Small Batch 4 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Maker's Mark Willett Family Estate Small Batch 4 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
heat 3/9 heat: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Willett Family Estate Small Batch 4 Year 9 out of 10
spice 2/6 spice: Maker's Mark 2 out of 10, Willett Family Estate Small Batch 4 Year 6 out of 10
fruit 4/6 fruit: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Willett Family Estate Small Batch 4 Year 6 out of 10
sweetness 8/7 sweetness: Maker's Mark 8 out of 10, Willett Family Estate Small Batch 4 Year 7 out of 10
oak 4/4 oak: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Willett Family Estate Small Batch 4 Year 4 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Willett Family Estate Small Batch 4 Year 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
These two land very differently on the palate for heat.
- 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.
- Willett Family Estate Small Batch 4 Year: Willett's own young distillate at full barrel proof. It is loud and sweet, all caramel corn, pastry and citrus, with a lot of heat for a four-year bourbon. Proof varies by batch.
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 significantly lower price point.
- Go with Willett Family Estate Small Batch 4 Year if you want a young, hot, barrel-proof pour that shows off Willett's own distillate with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark); neat (Willett Family Estate Small Batch 4 Year).