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Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel vs Maker's Mark
Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel and Maker's Mark sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus an old-guard, wheat-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel | Maker's Mark |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 110 proof (55% ABV) +20 proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$25 – $32 ~$34 less |
| Availability | Limited | Widely available easier to find |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Maker's Mark
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Maker's Mark
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 8/2 spice: Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel 8 out of 10, Maker's Mark 2 out of 10
oak 8/4 oak: Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel 8 out of 10, Maker's Mark 4 out of 10
heat 7/3 heat: Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel 7 out of 10, Maker's Mark 3 out of 10
sweetness 6/8 sweetness: Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Maker's Mark 8 out of 10
fruit 4/4 fruit: Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel 4 out of 10, Maker's Mark 4 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel 3 out of 10, Maker's Mark 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel: Non-chill-filtered single barrels at 110 proof, and the format that store picks have made a cult of. Concentrated Wild Turkey character with a texture the standard bottlings do not have.
- 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 Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel if you want concentrated Wild Turkey character with single-barrel variation and real texture with more proof behind it.
- 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 (Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel); neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark).