In a historic move, Maker’s Mark is set to unveil an aged bourbon, marking the first time in its illustrious seven-decade history. My recent visit to the Loretto, Kentucky distillery provided insights into the intriguing journey of this 12-year-old spirit’s creation.
‘Maker’s Mark to Release First Old Bourbon in 70-Year History: “Deep, Dark, Rich and Complex”‘
Around seven years ago, an unconventional catalyst ignited this transformation – dynamite.
Though an unlikely prologue to an aged bourbon’s tale, these detonations within a limestone hill on the distillery’s premises catalyzed a paradigm shift regarding the maturation of Maker’s Mark bourbon beyond its traditional six-year period. The inauguration of Maker’s Mark’s unique limestone whiskey cellar in December 2016 through its Private Select initiative created a new chapter. This cellar maintained at 47 degrees, introduced a solution to counter the sharp, acrid notes arising from extended exposure of the signature caramel and vanilla-infused bourbon to the humid confines of a Brickhouse.
On August 10, 2023, I found myself within this chilled limestone sanctuary, savoring a 12-year-old Maker’s Mark. While retaining the essence of the classic bourbon, this variant boasted an undeniable amplification in richness, fruity notes, and an intricacy that set it apart.
Introducing Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged – a testament to the ardor of bourbon aficionados. This distinguished offering will grace the distillery’s gift shop shelves on September 15, gradually reaching select retail outlets during the latter half of the same month.
Beth Buckner, Maker’s Mark’s Senior Manager of Innovation and Blending, articulated, “For years, consumers have clamored for a matured Maker’s Mark. Yet, our response had consistently been ‘no,’ for a very precise reason.”
‘Maker’s Mark to Release First Old Bourbon in 70-Year History: “Deep, Dark, Rich and Complex”‘
Blake Layfield, Senior Director & Head of Innovation, Blending Quality, made his way through the top floor of a rickhouse at Maker’s Mark distillery in Loretto, Ky. on Aug. 10, 2023.
Maker’s Mark employs a wheated bourbon, entering the barrel at 110 proof, with rotations in the rick houses to ensure uniformity.
‘Maker’s Mark to Release First Old Bourbon in 70-Year History: “Deep, Dark, Rich and Complex”‘
Long stays within a Brickhouse tip the balance, as the tannins in the spirit outmuscle the caramel and vanilla notes. Unlike other distilleries venturing into the 10, 15, and 20-year product range, this approach never aligned with Loretto’s distillery ethos, renowned for its delightful and gentle flavor profile – a facet as recognizable as its iconic red wax seal.
Rob Samuels, the managing director and grandson of the founder, underlined, “Venturing into over 10 years of aging wasn’t in our playbook. It’s not that we lacked faith in it, but rather, we hadn’t charted our course to execute it.”
‘Deep, dark, rich and complex’: Maker’s Mark to release first old bourbon in 70-year history
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Maker’s Mark is releasing an old bourbon for the first time in its seven-decade history, so I traveled to its distillery in Loretto, Kentucky, last week to hear just how this 12-year-old spirit came to be.
The story begins about seven years ago with a little dynamite.
That might seem like an odd way to start an old bourbon, but those blasts into a limestone hill on the distillery’s grounds were really what changed the conversation about aging a Maker’s Mark bourbon past its traditional six years. When Maker’s Mark’s first-of-its-kind limestone whiskey cellar opened in December 2016 as part of its Private Select program, the company had a new, 47-degree space to age bourbon. Suddenly there was a way around the sharp, bitter taste that occurs when you leave the signature caramel and vanilla bourbon in a humid Brickhouse for too long.
The top floor of a brick house at the Maker’s Mark distillery in Loretto, Ky. on Aug. 10, 2023.© Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier Journal
As I stood in that cool, limestone cellar, I sipped on a 12-year Maker’s Mark that resembled the traditional bourbon ― but it was undeniably richer, fruitier, and far more complex.
This, bourbon lovers, is Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged, and it hits the distillery gift shop’s shelves on Sept. 15. It will trickle out to select retail stores throughout the second half of September.
“Consumers have been begging for an older Maker’s Mark for years, and we’ve always said, ‘no,’ and there’s a very specific reason,” Beth Buckner, Maker’s Marks senior manager of innovation and blending, explained.
2 of 26 Photos in Gallery Display bottles in a bar at the Maker’s Mark distillery in Loretto, Ky. on Aug. 10, 2023.
Display bottles in a bar at the Maker’s Mark distillery in Loretto, Ky. on Aug. 10, 2023.
Maker’s Mark is a wheat bourbon that goes into the barrel at 110 proof, and the barrels in the rick houses are rotated for consistency.
‘Maker’s Mark to Release First Old Bourbon in 70-Year History: “Deep, Dark, Rich and Complex”‘
If that bourbon spends too long in a rick house, the tannins in spirit overpower the caramel and the vanilla. While other bourbon companies pushed out 10-year, 15-year, and 20-year products, that never made sense for the Loretto distillery’s sweet and gentle taste vision, which is nearly as recognizable as its signature red wax seal.
‘Maker’s Mark to Release First Old Bourbon in 70-Year History: “Deep, Dark, Rich and Complex”‘
“Aging our whiskey for over 10 years wasn’t something we ever did,” Rob Samuels, the managing director of Maker’s Mark and the grandson of the founder, said. “Not because we didn’t believe in it, but because we hadn’t found our way of doing it.”
When Maker’s Mark ages past eight years, the sugars and the mouth feel shift out of balance, and steer away from the taste vision. The founders of the company had a firm “never bitter” motto.
Past eight years of aging, Maker’s Mark veers off its flavor trajectory, with the sugars and mouthfeel losing equilibrium. An unwavering commitment to a “never bitter” mantra was central to the company’s inception.
In a bold stride into uncharted territory, Maker’s Mark embarks on a new era, proving that time-honored legacies can embrace evolution while cherishing their core values.
