FOR ITS MAKER’S 46, THE LORETTO, KENTUCKY BOURBON MANUFACTURER INTENSIFIED CARAMEL FLAVOR WHILE AVOIDING AFTERTASTE WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM SEARED FRENCH BARREL STAVES

In the current Bourbon manufacturing pantheon, there is perhaps no more legendary figure than former head of Maker’s Mark, Bill Samuels Jr., who oversaw production of the legendary Loreto, Kentucky maker since its founding in 1954 until his retirement in 2011. Trained by dad Bill Samuels Sr. to be both fanatical and occasionally detail-prickly, Samuels the younger was notoriously disinclined to tweak model lines with special flavors, unique blends, or other marketing components now considered de rigueur. To date, there have been just four variations of the pair’s small-batch, six-year aged classic bourbon: the Knee land, two limited releases dedicated to sports personalities at the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky, and this, the Maker’s 46.

“We settled on three essentials, one was the new product had to be absolutely yummy,” Samuels explained. “We also wanted to intensify the natural bourbon flavors—especially those of vanilla and caramel—and wanted there to be no bitter aftertaste. The problem is that numbers two and three are in conflict with each other, so we knew this would be difficult, and over the course of the next year and a half we did more than 100 experiments.”

Ultimately, Brad Boswell of barrel maker Independent Stave found a solution to the conundrum by introducing seared French insert staves into aging barrels, which helped lock in tannins and allowed caramelized wood sugars to intensify. The result (the 46th barrel experiment, hence the name), according to master distiller Greg Davis, is highlighted by “a big crescendo of wood and very deep rich and complex caramel notes that come through…and all the time the bourbon continues to move forward on the palate with more complexity and deeper, richer tones.”

After extensive testing, we concur. There’s a noticeable reduction here in the smoky finish of the standard Maker’s, and a lovely caramel/toffee sensation throughout a surprisingly extended taste experience. To us, it rivals Woodford Reserve and even local legend Kings County Distillery’s bourbon in its smoothness and flavor combination, but at a noticeable discount at an average of $35 per bottle.