Updated June 2026.
Buffalo Trace and Maker’s Mark flagships are both 90 proof / 45% ABV on current brand pages, so a 1.5-ounce pour is 1.13 NIAAA drinks either way. They are not the same bourbon. Buffalo Trace is Mash Bill #1 from Sazerac in Frankfort (percentages unpublished). Maker’s Mark is a wheated bourbon — wheat instead of rye in the flavoring-grain slot — from Loretto (Suntory Global Spirits). “Better” is not a TTB score.
The 2013 plan to cut Maker’s to 84 proof was reversed; the flagship stayed 90. Related: Buffalo Trace, Maker’s Mark, smoothest whiskey.
Same proof, different mash
| Buffalo Trace | Maker’s Mark | |
|---|---|---|
| US proof / ABV | 90 / 45% (brand) | 90 / 45% (brand) |
| 1.5 oz drinks | 1.13 | 1.13 |
| 750 mL drinks | ~19.0 | ~19.0 |
| Flavoring grain | Rye (Bill #1; % unpublished) | Wheat (wheated) |
| Owner / plant | Sazerac / Frankfort | Suntory / Loretto |
Four pours of either flagship are 4.5 drinks. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. Allocation on Buffalo Trace is real; we will not invent a 2026 street price. Pour math: whiskey drinks.
Sources
- buffalotracedistillery.com: Proof 90. makersmark.com: Proof 90.
- Mash-bill percentages not printed as a TTB filing — not invented.
- 27 CFR 5.143. NIAAA December 2025. No MSRP.