Compare
Penelope Rio vs Maker’s Mark 46
Penelope Rio and Maker’s Mark 46 sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a sourced, classically built blend versus an old-guard, wheat-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Penelope Rio | Maker’s Mark 46 |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Four-Grain Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 74% corn, 7% rye, 16% wheat, 3% malted barley | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 98 proof (49% ABV) +4 proof | 94 proof (47% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$80 – $100 | ~$38 – $45 ~$49 less |
| Availability | Limited | Widely available easier to find |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Penelope Rio
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Maker’s Mark 46
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Penelope Rio Maker’s Mark 46
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 4/7 oak: Penelope Rio 4 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 7 out of 10
spice 6/4 spice: Penelope Rio 6 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 4 out of 10
fruit 6/4 fruit: Penelope Rio 6 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 4 out of 10
sweetness 9/8 sweetness: Penelope Rio 9 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 8 out of 10
heat 5/4 heat: Penelope Rio 5 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 4 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Penelope Rio 3 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Barrel influence is the main separator.
- Penelope Rio: Penelope's four-grain blend finished in honey barrels and then amburana wood. It tastes like a cinnamon roll: honey, gingerbread and sweet baking spice.
- 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 Penelope Rio if you want a honey-and-amburana-finished bourbon that tastes like a cinnamon roll.
- 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 significantly lower price point and without hunting for it.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (Penelope Rio); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Maker’s Mark 46).