Maker’s Mark Launches Cellar Aged Bourbon
Maker’s Mark has announced the launch of Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged, an annual, limited release of the distillery’s oldest bourbon stocks.
The inaugural release of Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged is a marriage of 12 year old and 11 year old whisky – 87% and 13%, respectively – bottled at a cask strength of 115.7 proof (57.85% ABV). Maker’s Mark notes that the specific blend of aged bourbon will vary annually based on which barrels are ready each year.
To create Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged, barrels of distillate first spend approximately six years aging in traditional bourbon warehouses, where they endure the Kentucky climate and its temperature swings season after season until they reach full maturity. The barrels are then moved into the distillery’s proprietary limestone whisky cellar for an additional five to six years of aging before being blended to taste and bottled. Maker’s Mark claims that the cellar’s consistently cool environment slows down the tannic impact that occurs during maturation, while allowing the bourbon to develop a deeper, darker flavor with hidden depths, but no bitterness.
The 2023 release of Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged is described as having aromas of “dark stone fruit, caramelized sugar, and toasted oak.” The palate is “balanced with big oak, dark vanilla, and fruit.” It concludes with a “velvety, long and complex” finish with “caramelized barrel notes and baking spices.”
The 2023 release of Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged will be available in the United States beginning in September 2023 for a suggested retail price of $150.00. It will launch in London, Munich, and select Global Travel Retail markets in October 2023, and Tokyo and Singapore in early 2024.
Source: Maker’s Mark.