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Woodford Reserve vs Maker's Mark
Woodford Reserve 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 | Woodford Reserve | Maker's Mark |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 90.4 proof (45.2% ABV) | 90 proof (45% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$35 – $42 | ~$25 – $32 ~$10 less |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Woodford Reserve
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Maker's Mark
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Woodford Reserve Maker's Mark
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 6/2 spice: Woodford Reserve 6 out of 10, Maker's Mark 2 out of 10
sweetness 6/8 sweetness: Woodford Reserve 6 out of 10, Maker's Mark 8 out of 10
oak 6/4 oak: Woodford Reserve 6 out of 10, Maker's Mark 4 out of 10
fruit 6/4 fruit: Woodford Reserve 6 out of 10, Maker's Mark 4 out of 10
heat 4/3 heat: Woodford Reserve 4 out of 10, Maker's Mark 3 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Woodford Reserve 3 out of 10, Maker's Mark 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- Woodford Reserve: The most widely poured premium bourbon in America, and a genuinely well-made one. Dried fruit and cocoa over a balanced 18% rye mash, finished smooth enough to please almost anyone.
- 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 Woodford Reserve if you want a polished, widely available crowd-pleaser that never puts a foot wrong.
- 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 slightly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned, cocktails (Woodford Reserve); neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark).