Bulleit Bourbon Whiskey vs Maker's Mark 46 Cask Strength

Buy Bulleit if you want a versatile, everyday bourbon with a spicy high-rye kick that holds up in a Manhattan. Buy Maker's Mark 46 Cask Strength if you want a richer, hotter sipper with a wheated, oak-forward profile. Bulleit is the easier bottle to pour for a crowd and the more mixable of the two; 46 Cask Strength is the more intense pour and rewards slow sipping. Owners of both praise the quality for the category, though the cask strength bottle varies by batch and drinks hotter than its label suggests.

• Choose the Bulleit if you want a spicy, high-rye bourbon that works equally well in cocktails and on the rocks.
• Choose the Maker's Mark 46 Cask Strength if you want a wheated, French-oak-finished bourbon with real proof and a fuller body.