Maker’s Mark vs Maker’s 46: What’s the Difference?

Updated May 2026.

Same Loretto wheated bourbon family. Different finish and proof. Maker’s Mark flagship is 90 proof / 45% on makersmark.com pages used in prior rewrites. Maker’s 46 is widely labeled 94 proof / 47% and finished with seared French oak staves — that 94 figure is trade/retail consensus, not a re-fetched 46 product tile. A 1.5-ounce pour is 1.13 drinks at 45% and 1.18 at 47%.

Maker’s 46 Cask Strength is a different 107–114 SKU. Related: Maker’s Mark, wheated bourbon.

Staves change the bottle, not the class

Maker’s Mark Maker’s 46
Typical US proof 90 / 45% 94 / 47%
1.5 oz drinks 1.13 1.18
Finish New charred oak Seared French oak staves
Cask Strength 46 107–114 batch

A 750 mL 45% bottle is about 19 drinks; 47% is about 20. Four 94-proof pours are about 4.7 drinks. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. Pour math: whiskey drinks.

Sources

  • Maker’s Mark 90 / 45% — makersmark.com (prior). Mash-bill % unpublished.
  • Maker’s 46 94 / 47% — US retailer tiles. Official 46 page not re-fetched. Cask Strength 107–114 on makersmark.com 46 CS page.
  • TTB 27 CFR 5.143. NIAAA December 2025.

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