Veteran Bourbon Review: Maker’s Mark – 2022 Limited Release BRT-01

“Purchase Makers Mark BRT-01 at Caskers Here!”

Official Product Website

History – “The name BRT was given to these expressions because of the influence our consistent practice of hand-barrel rotation (BRT) and temperature has on our whisky process. Made to be enjoyed as a pair, BRT-01 is inspired by the tasting notes found at the hotter top of the rickhouse” – Makersmark.com 

With this product Maker’s Mark has focused on the top of their rickhouses.  So as many of you already know within general science that heat rises, meaning the top of the warehouse is where barrels experience the hottest temperatures. In turn it causes the barrels to expand in which extraction takes place. So this wood finishing series is unique in the way that it is only these targeted barrels that the product is pulled from. 

The series uses a base recipe of Maker’ Mark 46. It starts with a barrel of fully matured Maker’s Mark at cask strength and then the insertion of 10 seared virgin French oak staves – stave profile 46 – into the barrel and finishes the bourbon for nine additional weeks in our limestone cellar. The primary difference for each of these limited releases is the year along with the location or specifics of the barrel pull which is defined on the label. In this case it is BRT-01. Let’s dig in!

Value – Woah what a steal this is at the $50 MSRP that I purchased it at. I can’t even get private barrels for this cheap. An extremely high value!

Appearance – Hickory/Pecan. The legs on this are thick and the bottle itself is beautiful. I love that each bottle’s top is different and hand dipped. The bottle shape shows off and presents the stave profile used and the history of the bottle on the back. One thing to note is that it shows a label that is “Certified B”. This presents that it meets the highest standards of social and environmental impact. I don’t usually see this on bottles but this being here right now shows me that they are truly unique for this product release.

Nose – Hickory wood, baked bread pudding, smoke, charcoal. This nose is full of pleasurable scents that really push the scents that focus on the platform bourbon notes. Providing you with a fateful of everlasting scents drawn of baking notes and pushed out as heavy oak.

Palate – Seasoned wood, very smokey, chocolate, caramel. This is by far my favorite part of this review. Whoa, whoa and woah! As the nose leads onto it is full of the platform bourbon notes but to the extreme. If you like smoke in your glass then this is your bourbon because you get the spice and the smokeyness all in one.

Finish – Dominating smoke flavor on the end, baked bread, and a linger finish full of heavy oak. The finish is long and the mouthfeel is sweet, complex and rich. It’s delightful that Makers Mark can pull so many flavors into one sip. Artfully enjoyable throughout as I get about 15-20 seconds of lingering thickness and heat on my tongue at its 109.4 proof.

Summary – What I want to say about this bourbon is very hard to put down on paper but I will do my best to do so. When you enter into the bottle you have your conceptions of thinking that you know about the maker’s mark and what the standard product they deliver. You say to yourself “Hey, I have been drinking this my whole adult life” so I know what it tastes like. Then you have the nose lead you on to the sip and an explosion on the finish. If I knew what I know now about this product I would have bought it every time that I saw it.

Uniqueness – 1-10 – 8

Appearance – 1-10 – 8

Nose – 1-20 – 18

Palate – 1-20 – 20

Finish – 1-20 – 19

Value – 1-20 – 20