My son heard how good Maker's Mark was so he bought some. He didn't care for it. I didn't get to try it. He had noticed that anytime there is a bottle of booze showing in the background of a movie or TV show it was Maker's Mark! We got a magazine from SPEC'S LIQUOR STORES and it rated the best bourbons/whiskeys. sipping whiskeys. We are using that as our shopping guide as we try different ones. Southern Comfort used to be good, but it is just SWEET now, with no other flavors coming through. It used to have a very full flavor. I don't know what is different, the ingredients or the process or the equipment - but it isn't as good as it was a few years ago.
I caught that (at least in the first Spiderman movie). Nathan Osbourne had a bottle near him when he was "talking" to the Green Goblin.
Maker's Mark is really good. A splash over ice is perfect for sipping in the evening with a good book.
Trust me, its ALWAYS been sweet. Its the spirits equivalent of 10000 gallons of Romilar cough syrup mixed with 1000 tons of cane sugar.