This post is brought to you by…me, dammit. Yes, I still have a ton of samples that I should probably get to (and those will take up most of the coming weeks), but this one is something I recently picked up at Costco. At least in my area, Costco items don’t last long on the shelf, so since it’s timely, I thought it should jump the queue.
I know nothing about this particular product beyond what’s printed on the bottle. I reached out to Maker’s Mark PR, but they never returned my email. Here’s what I know from the label: it features the use of a finishing stave that used to be part of the Private Select program but was retired a few years ago—the “Roasted French Mocha” stave. I was always a big fan of that one, so it was nice to see it return. The label also says the series will feature recipe combinations that have never been used before and will include a retired stave in each recipe.
That’s what I know for sure. There are also rumors online that this particular release is a Costco exclusive. I know that’s the only place I’ve seen it. But I don’t visit a lot of liquor stores these days, so take that as you will.
Since there’s not much information available, let’s get to the important part: how does this one taste? Please keep in mind that I’m a Maker’s Mark fan, so if you’re not, you might want to grade on a curve with this one.
Maker's Mark The Lost Recipe Series, Edition 01, 2024
Purchase Info: $58.99 for a 700 mL bottle at Costco, Burnsville, MN
Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.21
Details: 55.95% ABV. Makers Mark Private Select Stave Profile: 1-Baked American Pure 2, 3-Seared French Cuvée, and 6-Roasted French Mocha.
Nose: Chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, and banana bread.
Mouth: Almond, chocolate, cinnamon, caramel, and red fruit.
Finish: Medium length and warm. Notes of almond, caramel, cinnamon, and oak.
Thoughts: This is incredibly drinkable neat. Even at about 112° proof, you don’t need water or ice. It’s sweet with nice baking spices. This is a very tasty pour, and I’m really enjoying it.
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Ever wanted to find out how a spirits competition works? This week, we’ll take you inside the recent American Craft Spirits Association’s annual judging of… Read More
Ever wanted to find out how a spirits competition works? This week, we’ll take you inside the recent American Craft Spirits Association’s annual judging of craft spirits to show you how the judging process works. It only takes a couple of minutes for trained judges to assess a whisky’s aroma, flavor and finish and determine a score. In the news, American electoral politics could affect the price you pay for whiskies in the future, no matter where you live in the world.
I’d like to thank the folks at Maker’s Mark for providing this review sample with no strings attached
…
I’d like to thank the folks at Maker’s Mark for providing this review sample with no strings attached
Busy, busy day today here at the BourbonGuy household. I got up early to throw a couple of pork butts on the smoker, made a batch of the best American cheese money can buy (seriously, if you want melty, gooey cheese that actually tastes good, make your own—hit me up, and I’ll send you the recipe; the email button is at the bottom of every page). Then, I made a stock pot full of pasta sauce from the tomatoes we grow in our garden. Food surrounded me all day.
And I forgot to eat lunch.
Ever do that? I seem to forget a couple of times a month. It’s a wonder I still need to lose weight. Of course, I’ll make up for it when I devour all the food I’m preparing today. I just have to remember that there is such a thing as “too much of a good thing.”
Well, unless you’re talking about extra age on some Maker’s Mark. Last year, they released their first extra-aged bourbon with the inaugural Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged Bourbon. I liked it enough that I hoped to find a bottle at retail, even though the MSRP was $150. I never did, and for that, my wallet thanked me. But here we are again. The 2024 version is out, and it’s even older (and more expensive) than last year’s batch.
"We surprised the world with the debut of Maker's Mark Cellar Aged last year, a bold step in our family's legacy because, for more than 65 years, aging our whisky for a decade-plus wasn't something we did," said Rob Samuels, 8th generation whisky maker and Managing Director, Maker's Mark. "Staying true to our founders' flavor vision and our relentless pursuit of excellence, we're thrilled to introduce our most mature bourbon yet."
Meticulously crafted, Maker's Mark Cellar Aged 2024 blends 15% Maker's Mark 12-year-old and 85% Maker's Mark 13-year-old, at 59.7% ABV or 119.3 Proof.
So. Yeah. Mostly 13 years old. Let’s see how it tastes.
Maker's Mark 2024 Cellar Aged Bourbon
Purchase Info: This 200 mL sample was sent at no cost for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $174.99.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $11.67
Details: 59.65% ABV. A blend of 12- and 13-year-old bourbons.
Nose: Toffee, floral vanilla, red fruit, and oak.
Mouth: Sweet and spicy with cinnamon, toffee, vanilla, and oak.
Finish: Very warm and on the longer side of medium length. A ton of oak and toffee notes.
Thoughts: If you love toffee, this is the bourbon for you. Toffee and oak are the predominant flavor notes here. At just shy of 120 proof, it’s as warm and spicy as you’d expect. It takes water well, though. Just a splash will bring out more vibrancy and cut the sweetness a bit. I like this one, but probably not enough to spend $175 on it. Not sure I could bring myself to pull the trigger on that. That’s a lot of money.
If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.
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Caitlin Bartlemay of Oregon’s Hood River Distillers is one of the up-and-coming craft distillers on the American whiskey scene. She makes the whiskey widely regarded as America’s first single malt whiskey, McCarthy’s, and joins us this week on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Edrington offloads The Famous Grouse, Campari takes a minority stake in three Scottish distilleries, and a new report highlights the problems craft distillers face in the current economic climate.
SHARE WITH: Maker's fans who like higher proof and aged iterations, plus any bourbon fan.
WORTH THE PRICE: Yes. It's the best Maker's I've ever had.
BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bottle, but don't pass it up at a bar if the price is right.
OVERALL: This is the second release of Cellar Aged, Maker's Mark's ongoing experiment to go boldly into those deep, dark flavors created only through long and careful aging. After six years, each barrel set aside for this release goes into Maker's limestone aging cave to reduce the effects of evaporation and control negative extraction effects from too many tannins.
At 12-years-old, this is Maker's oldest-ever release and its highest proof offering at 119.3. According to innovation manager, Beth Buckner, barrels still aging flavorfully for future Cellar Age releases signal no end to this push-the-boundaries program.
On to the bourbon: The nose delivers surprises such as macadamia nut and pastry cream before moving predictably to campfire, citrus and cocoa nibs. During a press conference, Buckner pointed to a pronounced coconut aroma that I didn't pick up, but others in the group did. Add that to the surprise list if you get it!
On the palate it's all the chocolate and booze-soaked cherry goodness of Black Forest cake. It's also weighty, mouth-coating and old oak forward. Imagine chilled Mexican hot chocolate stirred with a cinnamon stick and you're on the right track. The finish begins deep, dark and bourbon-medicinal, ending with dark toffee and espresso. It simmers with a little heat, but not its stated 119.3 hot; just a distant, warm hum. This bourbon just never runs out of gas. Every sip is a revelation, a new view into a complex whiskey providing countless vistas.
BRAND NOTES
Meticulously crafted, Maker's Mark Cellar Aged 2024 blends 15% Maker's Mark 12-year-old and 85% Maker's Mark 13-year-old, at 59.7% ABV or 119.3 proof. The aroma is captivating, with notes of caramelized sugar, zesty citrus and toasted almond. The palate unveils a delicate interplay of buttery shortbread, rich coconut and bright spices. A lingering, mouth-coating finish showcases dried dark fruit and subtle oak undertones.
Purchasing instructions: This year's release will be available for sale at the upcoming Kentucky Bourbon Festival (Sept. 13-15). A limited number will be available each day of the festival, sold on a first-come, first-served basis, limited to one per person, and a ticket is required to access the Maker’s Mark booth.
Also during the Bourbon Festival, a limited number of Cellar Aged 2024 will be made available for purchase at the Maker’s Mark Distillery. Distillery gates will open promptly at 5 a.m. each morning of the release event. Guests 21 or older may show an ID to receive a ticket that will hold their place in line. At 9 a.m., ticketed guests will then proceed to the Visitor Center to begin the purchase process. Limit one ticket/bottle per person for the duration of the release event.
Please note that overnight parking, camping or loitering outside the distillery entrance prior to gates opening is not permitted, nor is the public consumption of alcohol. Distillery facilities, including restrooms, will not be available until 9 a.m.
On Sept. 16, Cellar Aged will be released nationwide in the U.S. On that same day, Cellar Aged 2024 will be available at the Maker’s Mark by booking the Cellar Aged Experience at https://www.makersmark.com//distillery/visit-us as available.
Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter received a sample of this product from the brand for review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.
Maker’s Mark ® (Loretto, KY), has announced the 2024 release of Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged: the annual, global limited-release expression that delivers the distillery’s highly anticipated and oldest release. Like the inaugural, award-winning 2023 release, Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024 is aged to taste, not time – now blending 12- and 13-year-old Maker’s Mark to […]
Maker’s Mark ® (Loretto, KY), has announced the 2024 release of Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged: the annual, global limited-release expression that delivers the distillery’s highly anticipated and oldest release. Like the inaugural, award-winning 2023 release, Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024 is aged to taste, not time – now blending 12- and 13-year-old Maker’s Mark to unlock new flavors.
“We surprised the world with the debut of Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged last year, a bold step in our family’s legacy because, for more than 65 years, aging our whisky for a decade-plus wasn’t something we did,” said Rob Samuels, 8th generation whisky maker and Managing Director, Maker’s Mark. “Staying true to our founders’ flavor vision and our relentless pursuit of excellence, we’re thrilled to introduce our most mature bourbon yet.”
Meticulously crafted, Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024 blends 15% Maker’s Mark 12-year-old and 85% Maker’s Mark 13-year-old, at 59.7% ABV or 119.3 Proof. Per the brand, the aroma is captivating, with notes of caramelized sugar, zesty citrus, and toasted almond. The palate unveils a delicate interplay of buttery shortbread, rich coconut, and bright spices. A lingering, mouth-coating finish showcases dried dark fruit and subtle oak undertones.
“Delivering an elevated expression that’s distinctly Maker’s Mark, Cellar Aged finishes maturation in our LEED-certified cellar, built into the limestone shelf that surrounds us, creating a richer, deeper and more complex bourbon, free from the harsher tannic effects commonly found in older American whiskies,” said Dr. Blake Layfield, Head of Innovation and Blending, Maker’s Mark.
Per the brand, the limestone shelf that surrounds Star Hill Farm, homeplace to the Maker’s Mark Distillery, is key to crafting the unique taste of its bourbon – thanks to the innovative spirit of Margie and Bill Samuels, Sr., who in 1953, chose the land in Loretto, Kentucky because of its water source and natural watershed. Maker’s Mark still owns, protects, and enriches all 76 acres of its main lake’s watershed; and today, is the largest bourbon distillery in the world to achieve B Corp Certification and the first distillery to achieve Regenified Certification, a reflection of the brand’s dedication to regenerative agriculture practices that enhances the flavor of its bourbon.
Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024 will be available for a suggested retail price of USD $174.99 in the United States beginning September 16; in the United Kingdom, Germany and select Global Travel Retail accounts in the coming weeks; and in Korea, Japan and Singapore in early 2025.
In the United States, in addition to select retailers nationwide, the limited-release Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024 will be available for purchase at the Maker’s Mark Distillery by booking the Cellar Aged Experience at https://www.makersmark.com/distillery/visit-us as available.
How To Score It: Sept 13 – 16
This year’s release will also be available for sale at the upcoming Kentucky Bourbon Festival (Sept. 13-15) and in limited quantities at the Maker’s Mark Distillery. Complete details of the Kentucky-based sales of Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024 are below:
In the United States, in addition to select retailers nationwide, the limited-release Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024 will be available for purchase at the 2024 Kentucky Bourbon Festival (Sept. 13-15) in Bardstown, KY. A limited number will be available each day of the festival, sold on a first-come, first-served basis, limited to one per person, and a ticket is required to access the Maker’s Mark booth.
During the Bourbon Festival, a limited number of Cellar Aged 2024 will be made available for purchase at the Maker’s Mark Distillery.
Distillery gates will open promptly at 5 a.m. each morning of the release event. Guests 21 or older may show an ID to receive a ticket that will hold their place in line. At 9 a.m., ticketed guests will then proceed to the Visitor Center to begin the purchase process. Limit one ticket/bottle per person for the duration of the release event. All Cellar Aged 2024 bottles will be pre-dipped in our iconic red wax. Please note that overnight parking, camping or loitering outside the distillery entrance prior to gates opening is not permitted, nor is the public consumption of alcohol. Distillery facilities, including restrooms, will not be available until 9 a.m.
Following the Bourbon Festival, and beginning September 16th, Cellar Aged 2024 will be available at the Maker’s Mark by booking the Cellar Aged Experience at https://www.makersmark.com//distillery/visit-us as available.
Maker’s Mark provided this recipe for a cocktail that’s perfect for batching, making it a winning choice for your Olympics watch parties. · 2 parts Maker’s… Read More
Maker’s Mark provided this recipe for a cocktail that’s perfect for batching, making it a winning choice for your Olympics watch parties.
· 2 parts Maker’s Mark Bourbon
· 3/4 part honey syrup (Make with 2 parts honey to 1 part hot water)
· 3/4 part fresh squeezed lemon juice
· Lemon wedge for garnish
Add Maker’s Mark, lemon juice and honey syrup to an ice-filled shaker, and give it a good shake. Strain over ice into rocks glass. Garnish with lemon wedge.
Like every wood-finished Maker’s release, The Heart Series offers up a rich and complex nose featuring oak, chocolate, cinnamon and clove. Pastries, pie crust and fruit tarts made from all three doughs emerge laced with caramel and mocha.
SHARE WITH: Any whiskey fan, especially those wedded to Maker's Mark's flagship 90 proof. Use this to introduce them to the fullest of MM flavors.
WORTH THE PRICE: Yes.
BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bottle
OVERALL: This latest in Maker's ongoing Wood Finishing Series shows its innovation team taking a new tack with The Heart Release. Instead of working first with specific woods to create flavor accents, it asked its distillery team to describe what they taste, smell and experience on the job. Not surprisingly, their feedback was larded with descriptions of classic Maker's aromas and flavors such as caramel, pastry, maple, caramel, chocolate and more. According to Beth Buckner, senior manager of innovation and blending, they were told that "the maple notes come from steaming out our wooden fermenters–something we'd never have known without asking them." Getting those crews' feedback, she added, was essential to the taste vision for The Heart Release, named as a nod to the distillery team at the heart of the operation.
In creating those new flavors, the innovation team used two French oak staves and hung 10 of each in an equal number of barrels. Half the barrels were aged for five weeks, and the other half for nine. Both lots were then blended equally.
"We created what we thought would be the final blend and took it to the team to ask, 'Does this reflect your taste vision?'" Buckner said. "They were the first beside the innovation team to taste the whiskey, and we got their sign-off on it."
Like every wood-finished Maker's release, The Heart Series offers up a rich and complex nose featuring oak, chocolate, cinnamon and clove. Pastries, pie crust and fruit tarts made from all three doughs emerge laced with caramel and mocha.
On the palate, its 111.7 proof speaks loudly with heat and loads of baking spices. (I believe it's at this proof where wheated bourbons really shine, really flex their flavor muscles. Below 100 proof, wheat's spice and nutty characters always seems subdued by corn.) Reflective of the nose, undercurrents of mocha, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove ride herd across the mouth before easing into gentler tastes of baked pie crust.
BRAND NOTES
The Heart Release celebrates the team that distills our whisky, our people who sit at the heart of Maker's, guiding and setting the tone for so much of what we do. Fruit forward, with caramel, maple, and chocolate notes, this expression features a rich, creamy mouthfeel that is a pure delight.
Aroma: Toasted sweetness, stone fruit, cocoa
Taste: Brown sugar, maple, spice
Finish: Creamy, dark chocolate, long, silky finish
Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter received a sample of this product from the brand for review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.
The other day I was invited to be part of the Kentucky media Zoom tasting of the latest Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series. It was a very interesting tasting. The latest Wood Finishing Series is being called “2.0” by the… Continue Reading →
The other day I was invited to be part of the Kentucky media Zoom tasting of the latest Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series. It was a very interesting tasting. The latest Wood Finishing Series is being called “2.0” by the... Continue Reading →
Thank you for joining The Bourbon Review and Tito Belvedere for April Fools’ Day! We’ll see you next year—if not sooner. Maker’s Mark distillery, famous for their red winter wheated whiskey, announced this morning that for the first time since their founding more than six decades ago, they’ll be releasing bourbon whiskey made with a […]
Thank you for joining The Bourbon Review and Tito Belvedere for April Fools’ Day! We’ll see you next year—if not sooner.
Maker’s Mark distillery, famous for their red winter wheated whiskey, announced this morning that for the first time since their founding more than six decades ago, they’ll be releasing bourbon whiskey made with a second, rye mashbill.
Maker’s Mark Rye Bourbon breaks a precedent of more than half a century, and the new bottling, aged the same way as the wheat recipe, will be distinguishable only by the green wax atop the bottle.
“All these years we’ve been so focused on wheat—the whole time there was a whole other grain out there for flavoring bourbon,” explained Bill Samuels, patriarch of the brand. “We started playing with it about a decade ago, and after it aged for a few years, I said, well there might be something here.”
In contrast with the smooth, slightly crisp profile of the wheated Maker’s Mark bourbon, Maker’s Mark Rye Bourbon will be a sharp, spicy bourbon meant to hurt a little on the palate.
“I like that kick you get. It’s definitely different than what we’ve ever done before.”
The distillery has apparently done secretive market tests to examine whether the bartending world is ready for a rye bourbon, and according to Samuels, they see a huge opportunity. “We’re already looking at cutting back on this easy-drinking stuff and turning out some of this punchier, more aggressive recipe for the next few years,” explained Samuels.
Maker’s Mark Rye is available today, April 1, on limited shelves for $49.99.