Weller Special Reserve vs Maker's Mark 46 BLIND COMPARISON | Which Is The BETTER Wheated Bourbon?
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IN THIS WEEK'S VIDEO
GLASS ONE: Weller Special Reserve, 90 proof, $22-100+
GLASS TWO: Maker's Mark 46, 94 proof, $30-35
00:00 -- Intro
01:37 -- First Impressions
05:10 -- Tasting Discussion
08:12 -- Reveal & Reactions
12:50 -- Real World Scores
14:39 -- Who Are These For?
16:50 -- Bloopers
We entered this matchup into our blind sample pool because they're both lower proof wheated bourbons that are generally regarded as smooth, sweet sippers that are approachable for anyone. While Maker's Mark is readily available in most markets, Weller is incredibly difficult to find in most markets and often gets marked up to $100 or more. Does Weller stand out as being worth the hype and hunt? Is Maker's Mark a viable alternative (or perhaps even better)? Watch to find out.
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Just saw 5 bottles of the Green Weller on a shelf at a local bottle shop, but at $70 each I walked right out the door.
That's the problem these days. Retail stores went stupid along with the secondary market. And people buying those at $70 keeps the Retail stores stupid too. They don't even take care of me when I try to only shop at the one store. The owner knows I try to buy only from him and he has the balls to offer me a Weller Antique "out of the back" for $120. I told him he's taking advantage my loyalty and I never went back. Gave him a good piece of my mind and didn't use dirty words. Just gave him the truth. Mic drop. Heading to Walmart!! Real deal retail baby.
Was lucky enough to pick up a bottle of Weller for 42 the other day. He had a few bottles.
35 in the Atlanta area
Smart move as I can get it at the $22 point.
Bravo, OP!
I'll be getting my first Weller SR next week from a friend. Very excited! I must say the 46 i have had was excellent for my first wheated bourbon. Will absolutely make 46 my go-to wheated if Weller remains elusive or subject to volitile secondary market prices.
This is a solid comparison! I have both on my shelf and I reach for Makers 46 2-3 times more than the Weller. My fiancé will grab the Weller pretty much every time. I find myself gravitating toward the whole Makers line up more and more. Excellent products for very reasonable prices. Weller is completely non-existent here in Indiana. I could find it when I was in GA from $40 up to as high as $70. Good stuff yall!!
Thanks Ed! We definitely reach for Maker's products much more often than Weller products. On the whole we just find them more interesting and enjoyable.
MM46 is one of my favorites. I only been drinking whiskey for little over a year now and hadn’t had the WSP yet. Thanks for the video. 👍
Weller SR is what got me into bourbon back in the day! I always save a bottle of two for when my college buddies are in town. It’s an instant buy for me if I can’t find it at $40 or below.
Wow. I’m in Texas and I can find Weller SR almost any day of the week. Can’t believe the difference in availability around the U.S.
It's a weird, wild world in bourbon out there for sure. Thanks for watching Cade!
Where im at it shows up maybe once a month at most and if it does its one bottle.
@@LeatherDaddy97 same here. Stores may get a bottle or two near the end of each month and then there’s a mad dash by people to get there and grab it as soon as it’s posted on social media.
Just restarted my bourbon journey in December and started watching your channel. I really like your blind comparisons. Catching up on some of your older videos. Weller is hit or miss in my area (N Illinois). I did not see it for a while and then 3 weeks ago, I was able to get 5 bottles of Weller SR for $29.99 each and 6 bottles of Buffalo Trace for $26.99 each at several Binny’s in Northern Illinois. Not a big fan of Makers Mark, but do like the MM 46.
Love this format. Subscribed. I always thought the feet or funk is the wheat not oak. I assumed it was because I only ever get that on wheated bourbons but honestly I don't know. Was I wrong?
Wheated funk is definitely a thing. We do get it from non-wheated products sometimes, albeit less frequently, but on these two the lower proof had us fooled. The wheated funk is much more apparent on things like Weller Antique 107 and Maker's Cask Strength at least to our palates. Thanks for watching Pylon!
Weller special reserve was the first whiskey I enjoyed on its own. I’ve got a special spot in my heart for it. I always keep a bottle around but it’s normally brought out for people who are new to bourbon or find it hard to find. I don’t love regular 46. I think I’ve been spoiled by the limited release and private select maker’s offerings thats it’s difficult to step down. I use regular makers as a mixer sometimes but that’s about it. I can sip on Weller anytime and, while not challenging, it’s enjoyable and takes me back to simpler times
I have Weller SR and MM 46 Cask Strength. The Weller is good, but not as readily available as I’d like, but it does show up here in Georgia and at MSRP, not marked up. Because I like double-oaked/toasted/char barrel expressions, I really like the MM 46 Cask Strength. I’ll have to try the regular MM 46 because the CS is hard to find, but I suspect I’ll prefer it to the Weller, as well.
Every month I have an opportunity to get Weller Special Reserve. The downside is it’s the only Weller we see. And just for the record some of us enjoy your extra commentary, Josh.
i am 62 and picked up scotch about a year ago, basically a drink for the non drinker. i found i liked bottles in the $70 range or so. Saw Bourbon visiting my son in TN...looked at reviews and every "top 3 or top 5 list" Had Makers in there. I found it enjoyable and a comfortable price range. I appreciate the review so i know my own personal "research" is not too shabby.lol. If anyone has suggestions i'm more than open for them. I am like the fish eater that likes fish, but not the taste of fish. I enjoy makers and makers 46 because it does not have a strong alcohol taste, so great video and will be checking back. Thanks for listening to a review from a guy that really has no clue. thanks
We just found that your comment had gotten filtered to the spam folder for some reason but we just wanted to say we appreciate you tuning it. Cheers!
Another nice video! Around me Weller is 60.00 to 80.00 I got a deal here two for 80.00 bucks then a week later a guy sold me a bottle for 18.00 the 46 is everywhere for 30-35 bucks. I enjoy the Weller a little better!
When they show up, both of these are priced well in my market. I prefer Special Reserve to 46 but solid bourbons. Thanks for sharing!
Cheers Whisky Neighbour!
Spot on again! That's a really solid head to head - agree with your conclusions! 46 just changed bottles recently so my market put the "old" bottles on sale - great buy!
Great buy for sure, and we're seeing the new bottle at 29.99 everywhere too. Good on Maker's!
Pick up a bottle today of Makers Mark 46 was on sale for $46 😊😊 cant wait to try it
Makers 46, and Makers 46 Cask are both welcome in my cabinet. Normally keep an extra bottle of each on hand.
Great comparison. I'm not a huge fan of wheaters but these are the only 2 I will drink. Makers 46 is finished in a barrel that includes French medium toast oak staves which gives this a unique flavor and is very tasty. I will buy a bottle occasionally when I want something different. I also enjoy Weller but I won't seek it out because it is so rare to find on the shelf. Out of sight, out of mind. I won't avoid it but I also won't pay more than $25 for it.
do not worry, you will never ever never see a Weller for 25$ unless your state has controlled MSRP pricing at the ABC run stores... in any non-state run liquer story expect to pay 90$ plus if they have it.
I picked up a bottle WSR for $22.99 in North Florida today. This was the first time that I have seen it for less than $70 in our area.
Great comparison, both are bottles we enjoy, but we drink a whole lot more M46 because we can always find it! Cheers 🍻
Cheers to that NWB!
I just bought a weller special reserve this week. First that I’ve seen. I wasn’t very impressed with the neck pour, hoping it will open up and improve. The Makers 46 is really good though
It doesn't get much better. Highly overrated if you ask me. I found mine at a BevMo for about $20 which is fine but I'd never pay more than that for one
@@jasonczfan8658 agreed. I've got 15 to 20 bottles and this is my least often reached for.
I've always said if it's 90 proof it needs to WSR. Now that it's a $25 allocated bottle for 40+ I need to try the 46.
I also prefer 46 to Weller SR. Nice to see you guys agree. Cheers buddies! 🥃
Absolutely the best whiskeytube channel. Love the content guys. 🤘
Thanks so much!
Good episode guys!! I learned that for you Josh, you'd probably really like Still Austin "The Musician" Bourbon based on your preferences and Erin, you should just have a rye and be happy. lol Still Austin has a very cherry forward nose but for such a young whisky (2years) it has a surprisingly pleasant oily mouth feel and once the cherry calms down the underlying brown sugar/toffee comes out before fading fairly quickly to a small peppery kick to finish. It's not by far the best bourbon I've had but for the age stated it is a really amazing bottle based on the flavours it produces. Can't wait for the next one, take care!!
** Side note. If you had one of those mini wooden casks and a handful of slightly toasted, and lightly charred oak chips to dump in, I think pouring a bottle of Still Austin "The Musician" in, sealing it and then forgetting about it for a decade would yield a remarkable pour!! Something to play with I guess. I'm not sure I could leave it alone for that amount of time!
Great mention! Still Austin is 100% on our radar. As soon as we see it distributed here we'll be grabbing some!
Still Austin cask strength is 🔥🔥🔥. It beat out my Stagg Jr during a taste test. (I was coming off of a respiratory infection when I did it)
Great comparison.....All of the scores fit Arizona...Cheers u 2...
15:05 Josh, your comeback is what got my thumbs up. hehe
Haha, thanks Douglas! Cheers and thanks for watching buddy!
Weller products impossible to find in NC. Makers 46 is a great sipper for the price ! Cheers 🥃
Just gotta know where to look. I’ve gotten two antiques and three WSR since January all in NC
Being from West Virginia I have to announce this as of today...."Breakout Distiller of the Year" at the 2022 ASCOT Awards !!! Smooth Ambler
We definitely need to get Smooth Ambler in some channel content!
$22 a bottle for the Wellers in Ohio. Bought three 750ml SR bottles this week already. In the last two weeks I got two 1.75L Buffalo Trace, a 1.75L of Special Reserve and 750ml of 107. But can’t get any of the other Buffalo Trace lines here 😩
I'm blown away! I just did this blind and M 46 won! To me, 46 was sweeter with lots of brown sugar and caramel and oily, more so then W SR. It had more harsh oaky flavors (W SR). Great blind suggestion comparo. I was thinking green label Weller would win hands down, I was wrong.
Blinds are fun, huh? Love to hear it. Cheers and thanks for watching!
Is there a Maker's 46 vs Maker's 101 or Maker's cask or Maker's 46 cask?
Those are definitely some matchups we need to get into the pool. Cask vs 46 Cask is especially interesting!
I found a Weller Special Reserve early on in my bourbon journey... Didn't know what I had or what it was. Drank entirely too much of it and it was not a fun night! 🤣 Luckily only paid around $20 for it here in Texas so it didn't break the bank. Since then I see it from time to time and will pick it up because it was pretty dang good, but I don't go hunting for it and I refuse to pay any more than $30 for it.
As an easy to get alternative, I like Larceny 92 proof at $23.
One of my local liquor stores always has all the allocated Buffalo Trace stuff on the shelf. How do they do it, you ask? Pricing! Weller Special Reserve - 99.99. E. H. Taylor Small Batch - 99.99. E.H. Taylor Single Barrel - 199.99. Eagle Rare - 69.99. Buffalo Trace - 44.99. All the "cool" Wellers are over 200, with the CYOB is think was over 300. I forgot what they had the Elmer T Lee priced at, but again, it was something ridiculous.
Crazy prices for sure!
It's the only Weller I can find(not often) and I think it's a fantastic buy at retail.
I've got a bottle of WSR I bought for $23. Not drinking it because I would have to spend way more if I could find it. Makers 46 is available anywhere but I don't have any on hand as I much prefer the higher proof expressions.
Interestingly, WSR is the whiskey that really started me down my whiskey journey. I'd only had Jack & OGD and other mainstream American whiskies. WSR was the first wheater I'd ever had and it made me realize there are other flavor profiles out there. So while WSR is not my preference today it did open my eyes to the possibilities.
There's something to be said for that experience for sure. Great comment Ferd!
Where can you buy Weller’s Special Reserve for $30. It does not sell for that price anywhere I’ve been.
Suggested retail is $22-25ish. Hype has many markets marking it up unfortunately. It’s a solid $25-30 bourbon but pretty terrible for a $40+ bottle.
i really like that Erin smells outside (grass/hay) just knows it's a wheat whiskey
It's a nack for sure. 😂 Thanks for watching Jim! Cheers!
Great review. Taste is really funny, I find Wellers really boring, while I find 46 an easy sweet sipper, but a lot more flavourful, a bit more complex and like that a lot.
Great point Torben! Across the range of product offerings, we do tend to find Maker's to be a bit more complex compared to Weller products, and do find ourselves reaching for Maker's more often. Cheers!
I live in Ohio, the land of green Weller. Just looked online and the store up the street has it for $23 right now. I’ve got a few bottles and honestly after those are gone I don’t think I’ll rebuy. I would grab another Antique 107 though.
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Bloopers were fun
Thanks Sean! We always try to sneak one or two in there at the end if we have anything we think people might enjoy. Appreciate you watching!
I'm in Canada and can get Weller SR for $42 CAD and Makers 46 for $57 CAD all day long, no issues finding either for me. Distribution is weird
It's definitely a weird world of bourbon out there. Cheers and thanks for watching Jordan!
I love 46. Great "everybody" bourbon. It's the bourbon I give to the newbs who are starting out in bourbon, since it's an easy sipper.
27 Dollars for a bigger bottle here in Texas comparison MM 46 small er bottle for 40 Dollars so I bought all of weller special reserves
Josh can never talk too much in my opinion.
Weller SR is always the last bottles sold at my local store when they receive their monthly allocations. The young guy who works the liquor section practically throws them at me. 😂😂😂. For $25, I’ll buy one so i got easy bottles to kill
For $25 it's a good easy sipper for sure!
I’ve seen the Wellers reserve for $300 and 107 for $500. So I’m all in for the Maker’s
Insane, horrific price gauging. Well done for going with reality.
Can't find Weller SR here in California, and I have tried. The few times I have seen A SINGLE BOTTLE in a few places, they START at $100--absolutely crazy. I will drink MM46 all day, every day 'cause chasing bottles is ridiculous when there is so much good stuff readily available (like MM46). The hype is all too real, and this will help me continue to NOT hunting for Weller SR.
Thanks for helping me personally Fight the FOMO!
That's what we're here for, Chris! These blinds helped us fight our own FOMO and we're happy to share that experience with others. Maker's 46 is such a solid sipper too. You can't really go wrong with it. Cheers!
Finally... He got it!😉🤣 Cheers!
I like the honest opinion from Erin about weller. She doesn’t know much about it and it’s just meh. Wish all these noobs understood that it’s mostly a hype thing about ALOT of offerings out there. Thx guys 🥃
My wife, and now my son, puts syrup AND peanut butter on their pancakes.
Not impressed with the Wellers I’ve tried tbh but I do love the Makers.
Makers 46 is a good quality wheater for the price to me.
Definitely! Cheers Jeremy!
Just did a blind with ETL, Weller 12, and MM46……46 won
46 does so well in blinds it's silly. So glad Maker's keeps this product out there all the time. It's might be the people's champ for entry level approach bourbon.
WHISKEY CHEERS 😎😎😎😎
Lone the 46 cask strenght. Also noting great hair day for both. Erin though wins.😂
I used to love MM but it started to give me chemical burns in my mouth so I avoided them... several years later I hear 46 is good... and I've been drinking a lot of bourbons lately so can even handle the higher proof ones like my absolute favorite WT Rare Breed...
I got MM46 tonight and it again is starting to give me that feeling in the mouth like I had a something with a lot of tannins in it... or when I smelled it, Cherry Halls cough drops which have a similar mouth pucker if you have had a couple in succession... and when I thought about that I totally got the nose and taste... MM46 is totally like they put cherry Halls cough drops in it..... I honestly don't like it at all . If I am going to do a wheat Bourbon, I think Larceny is so far my favorite... I still need to try their cask strength as I think that will be even better... Buffalo Trace and Larceny both are good but need to be over the 100 proof mark I think
No more Maker's Mark for me though... I hate it almost as much as I hate Jim Beam now
That's fair. Nothing is for everyone, and sometimes there's just those profiles that don't sit right with some people. It's a good thing to know about yourself so that you know to steer clear of that brand's products.
I'm confused....it Stuffin' Whiskey? :) Another great video guys!
Haha, thanks Jeff! Cheers man!
I see Weller Special Reserve and 107 every week here in Ohio
You're in the rare state that gets them with any regularity.
@@stuffandwhiskey I never knew that.
I know this a year old. WSR can’t hold the door for Makers 46. 😬
I’m glad you corrected yourself on that “Pea-Can” comment Josh. Almost had to unsubscribe there for a second lol. But on a more serious note, solid matchup. Just proves on how much of a nonsense the weller SR hype up is. It’s decent but there are other wheaters that can hang with or out do that are readily available.
Haha! We knew we were breaching treacherous waters with the PEA-can/puh-CON debate. What can we say? That's just the kind of danger we like to get into over here. 😂
Funny how all the TH-camrs are suddenly downing Weller. Here in Kansas it's available but gets bought out in a day. Cost is @ 35 dollars. I can't believe it's selling out because it's just average. I have both the WSR and the Mm 46, similar and both good but I really like the Weller better. Also been drinking Bourbon for well over 40 years
The example we always like to use is that 10-15 years ago Weller was a bottom to mid shelf product that most people ignored (much like Maker's Mark these days). By all accounts, the whiskey has gotten worse over the last 10-15 years (younger bourbon), the price has doubled, and now people are clamoring for it due to popularity. For us, that doesn't make much sense, and blind tastings have backed that up. We're sure being into bourbon for over 40 years gives some perspective to some of the crazy consumer behavior around these hyped up products. Cheers and thanks for watching!
Oh for sure, when I was younger Jack Daniels and Jim Beam was the most popular, you rarely heard of anything else, and I still love them both.
Ayyyy let me know if you want this special reserve for 30. I got you covered guys!! 😂.
Weller SR is not aged enough to get its full potential and Makers 46 is a generic mass market bourbon. Neither is great, but at MSRP obviously Weller is the better bottle, unless you like bourbon with air quotes.
Thanks for watching. Cheers!
MMark 46 wins hands down.. I am tired of these Unicorn Tears bottles from BTrace. I do not care how good they are, if they are not accessable.. then they are IRRELEVENT.
“The best ability is availability.” Cheers Mike and thanks for watching!
WTF?
WTF or FTW? Only you can decide. Cheers and thanks for watching Mike!
Weller is just bland to me. Not a fan of 46 personally i think it tastes like pier 1 imports. Just not my thing.
Pier 1! That's an Erin-level tasting note and we love it!
Weller is excellent for $25 when you can find it. Maker’s 46 is finely crafted top quality at $33 and readily available.
WSR is everywhere in Ohio... @Stuff & Whiskey - if you want one, let me know and I will send one your way.