The way the process works is that representatives from the State went to Maker's Mark to create the unique blends. Maker's provided 5 staves to select from that could be combined in 1001 different combinations to create unique taste profiles. The five that the State got to choose from were:
- Toasted French Spice - Smoke, coumarin, spice
- Maker's 46 - Dried fruit, vanilla, spice
- Roasted French Mocha - Char, maple, cacao
- Baked American Pure 2 - Sweet brown vanilla, caramel, brown spice
- Seared French Cuvee - Oaky, caramel, roasted/toasted
From there, the State created four unique expressions:
- OHLQ Holiday in Columbus
20% Baked American Pure 2
40% Seared French Cuvee
10% Maker's 46
30% Toasted French Spice - OHLQ Holiday in Cincy
10% Baked American Pure 2
30% Seared French Cuvee
40% Roasted French Mocha
20% Toasted French Spice - OHLQ Holiday in the Land
70% Baked American Pure 2
30% Maker's 46 - OHLQ Holiday in Ohio
10% Baked American Pure 2
40% Seared French Cuvee
20% Maker's 46
30% Toasted French Spice
Proofs will listed on the bottle as each barrel varies but expect them to be in the range of 108-114 (54%–57% alcohol). The Maker's Mark Holiday have a price of for $65.99 + tax for a 750ml bottle. No age statement was provided. Select stores will have calligraphers on hand from 9-11 a.m. so you can add a custom gift tag to your bottle.
My Take
Trying to figure out the various compositions of the releases hurt my head, much less try to figure out if one combination is more appealing than others. For these releases, I'm not approaching this as a must have bourbon, but rather as a nice gift opportunity. If someone in your life is a big bourbon fan, these are reasonably priced and unique. Each location has a decent amount of bottles allocated so as long as you are at the store at or before 8:45am, you should be able to pick up a bottle pretty easy. Additionally, if you live near the custom gift tags location, that adds additional value.
If you are concerned about the bourbon only, I'd pass on this one unless you're a huge Maker's fan. There isn't anything overly appealing about any of the blends and for $66 + tax, I'd rather try a new bourbon I haven't had before that I'll be able to purchase again if I really like it.
If you go to any of the locations or get a bottle for Christmas, drop a note in the comments with your thoughts.
Locations (alphabetical by city)
Kroger
919 E. State St., Athens
84 Bottles, OHLQ Holiday in Columbus - #2332
Beaver Valley Wine & Spirits
3325 Seajay Dr., Beavercreek
84 Bottles, OHLQ Holiday in Cincy - #2322
Giant Eagle
4343 E. Royalton Rd., Broadview Heights
138 Bottles, OHLQ Holiday in the Land - #2318
Custom Gift Tags Available
Fishers Foods
5215 Fulton Dr. NW, Canton
120 Bottles, OHLQ Holiday in Ohio - #2320
Kroger
3760 Paxton Ave., Cincinnati
102 Bottles, OHLQ Holiday in Cincy - #2323
Warren Village Beverage
3330-32 Warren Rd., Cleveland
120 Bottles, OHLQ Holiday in the Land - #2319
Beverage Barn
1901 Tiffin Ave., Findlay
114 Bottles, OHLQ Holiday in Ohio - #2320
The Pit Stop
805 N. Memorial Dr., Lancaster
90 Bottles, OHLQ Holiday in Columbus - #2332
O'Bryan's Wine & Spirits
8972 Columbia Rd., Loveland
120 Bottles, OHLQ Holiday in Cincy - #2323
Custom Gift Tags Available
Pauken Wine & Liquor
221 Golden Gate Shopping Center, Maumee
108 Bottles, OHLQ Holiday in Ohio - #2321
Custom Gift Tags Available
Ale Wine and Spirits
7560 Guardwell St., Powell
120 Bottles, OHLQ Holiday in Columbus - #2324
Custom Gift Tags Available
Giant Eagle
3061 Kingsdale Center, Upper Arlington
108 Bottles, OHLQ Holiday in Columbus - #2324
Giant Eagle
825 Ambassador Dr., Wadsworth
120 Bottles, OHLQ Holiday in the Land - #2319
The Wine List
7381 Tylers Corners Dr., West Chester
144 Bottles, OHLQ Holiday in Cincy - #2322
Custom Gift Tags Available
Shoregate Beverage & Liquor
30498 Lake Shore Blvd., Willowick
96 Bottles, OHLQ Holiday in the Land - #2318
One Stop Shop
6000 Mahoning Ave., Youngstown
84 Bottles, OHLQ Holiday in Ohio - #2321
Source: OHLQ
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