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Old Forester Statesman vs Maker’s Mark 46
Old Forester Statesman and Maker’s Mark 46 sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus an old-guard, wheat-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Old Forester Statesman | Maker’s Mark 46 |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 95 proof (47.5% ABV) | 94 proof (47% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$50 – $55 | ~$38 – $45 ~$11 less |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Old Forester Statesman
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Maker’s Mark 46
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Old Forester Statesman Maker’s Mark 46
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
fruit 7/4 fruit: Old Forester Statesman 7 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 4 out of 10
oak 5/7 oak: Old Forester Statesman 5 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 7 out of 10
spice 5/4 spice: Old Forester Statesman 5 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 4 out of 10
nuttiness 2/3 nuttiness: Old Forester Statesman 2 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 3 out of 10
sweetness 8/8 sweetness: Old Forester Statesman 8 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 8 out of 10
heat 4/4 heat: Old Forester Statesman 4 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Fruit character is what sets these apart.
- Old Forester Statesman: Old Forester's fruit-forward middle child, first made for a spy movie tie-in. Bright cherry and brown sugar lead, with cocoa and a touch of the house banana note.
- Maker’s Mark 46: Finished with seared French oak staves inside the barrel, which adds the spice and wood that the standard bottling deliberately lacks. The most useful upgrade in the Maker's range.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Old Forester Statesman if you want a bright, cherry-sweet Old Forester that sits between the 100 and 1920 in weight.
- Go with Maker’s Mark 46 if you want the softness of Maker's Mark with real oak and spice layered over it at a slightly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Old Forester Statesman); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Maker’s Mark 46).