Bourbon brand Maker's Mark is launching a highly-anticipated "Cellar Aged" Bourbon expression, marketing the brand's first older expression with a double digit age statement. 

Maker's Mark Cellar Aged Bourbon is a blend of 87% 12-year-old and 13% 11-year-old whisky, and will be bottled at cask strength. To make the expression, the distillates first spend six years aging in Maker's Mark's traditional bourbon warehouses - where the barrels are uniquely rotated from the upper to the lower levels of warehouse to even out differences in Kentucky's temperature swings.

Following which, the aged distillates are moved into a whisky cellar for another five to six years of aging, before being blended and bottled. The limestone whisky cellar offers a consistently cool environment that slows down the tannic impact that occurs during maturation, said to allow the resultant bourbon to develop deeper flavours without the associated bitterness that tends to plague extra-aged American whiskies.

Official Tasting Notes

Aroma: Dark stone fruit, caramelized sugar, toasted oak

Taste: Balanced with big oak, dark vanilla, and fruit

Finish: Velvety texture, long and complex with caramlized barrel notes and baking spices 

Cellar Aged will be an annual, limited release available in specific markets around the world. The unique maturation approach of Cellar Aged will be consistent every year, but the specific blend of aged bourbon will vary based on which barrels are ready, by taste. 

Maker's Marks limestone cellars, located in Kentucky.

This new release and its unique production process hints at a possible new chapter in Maker's Mark's distilling history, one that may involve further experimentation in more aged expressions. Fans of Maker's Mark have been calling for an older bourbon expression from the distillery for a while now. Maker's Mark has thus far uniquely withheld from releasing older whiskies aged for decades or more.

As Rob Samuels, grandson of Maker's Mark's founders explained:

"It's not that we didn't believe in it; we simply hadn't found a way to do it that didn't compromise on our taste vision – until now. Cellar Aged embodies an older whisky that's distinctly Maker's Mark." 

Cellar Aged will be available for a suggested retail price of USD $150.00 in the United States in September 2023; in London, Munich and select Global Travel Retail accounts in October 2023; and in Tokyo and Singapore in early 2024. 

Images courtesy of Maker's Mark.

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team