Compare
Penelope Toasted Series vs Maker's Mark
Comparing Penelope Toasted Series and Maker's Mark reveals a matchup between a blender-built, spice-driven bottling and a traditional, wheated Kentucky staple.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Penelope Toasted Series | Maker's Mark |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) +10 proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$25 – $32 ~$34 less |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Penelope Toasted Series
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Maker's Mark
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Penelope Toasted Series Maker's Mark
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 5/2 spice: Penelope Toasted Series 5 out of 10, Maker's Mark 2 out of 10
oak 7/4 oak: Penelope Toasted Series 7 out of 10, Maker's Mark 4 out of 10
heat 5/3 heat: Penelope Toasted Series 5 out of 10, Maker's Mark 3 out of 10
sweetness 7/8 sweetness: Penelope Toasted Series 7 out of 10, Maker's Mark 8 out of 10
fruit 4/4 fruit: Penelope Toasted Series 4 out of 10, Maker's Mark 4 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Penelope Toasted Series 3 out of 10, Maker's Mark 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- Penelope Toasted Series: Finished in a second, freshly toasted barrel, which pushes it toward toffee, roasted coffee and darker oak. The toast level changes from batch to batch.
- 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.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Penelope Toasted Series if you want a toasty, coffee-and-toffee bourbon from a second-barrel finish with more proof behind it and with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
- 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.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (Penelope Toasted Series); neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark).