Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series: The Keepers Release 2025

My friends! It’s time for another liquor store find from my recent travels. I saw this one all over Kentucky, but haven’t run across it here in Minnesota yet. That doesn’t really mean much, though—I haven’t been to the liquor store locally for a few months now. That said, I bought this one at Illinois’ Binny’s Beverage on the way home after passing on it a couple of times at various locations in Kentucky. Why did I pass? No idea. Must have found something that struck my fancy more at that particular moment.

So what are we talking about? That would be the latest release in Maker’s Mark’s Wood Finishing Series. They’ve been doing this for a while now. I saw emails in my inbox about the series going back to 2021—though they’ve highlighted different things over the years. The 2024 and 2025 releases focused on the people who help make the product what it is. According to the press release:

“The Keepers Release was born from our close collaboration with the Maker’s Mark warehouse team, the guardians of our barrels,” said Dr. Blake Layfield, master distiller, Maker’s Mark. Their sensory experience of Maker's Mark is unlike anyone else’s — the aromatic oak at different times of the day, evolving tasting notes of our whisky as it ages over multiple seasons — which provided inspiration and helped us shape the flavors of this release."  

Adding to that statement, according to reporting by The Bourbon Review, this expression starts with fully matured, cask-strength Maker’s Mark aged six to seven years, then finished in two batches with toasted American oak staves—one batch aged an additional five weeks, the other nine—before being blended in equal parts and bottled at 109.2 proof (54.6% ABV).

So let’s get to the important part: how does it taste?

Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series: The Keepers Release 2025

Purchase Info: $79.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Binny’s Beverage Depot, Bloomington, IL.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.33

Details: 54.6% ABV

Nose: Vanilla, toffee, oak lumber, cinnamon, and a hint of mint.

Mouth: Almond, oak, mint, cinnamon, vanilla, and caramel.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Notes of almond, cinnamon, mint, and oak.

Thoughts: This is very good. Nice toffee. Lots of oak—though to me, it doesn’t quite come through as the usual oak notes you’d find in a bottle of bourbon. This oak feels more like the kind you'd find in your lumber pile (you do have a lumber pile of old wood, don’t you? Just me?). But while I might have expected that to be a bad thing, it actually works really well here. It plays nicely with an almond note that trends toward cherry. Big fan of this.

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12th Annual BourbonGuy.com Brackets: The Championship Rounds

Welcome back, folks! We are now at the end of the 2025 contest. Eight whiskeys entered the arena. Four have fallen by the wayside. There have been some delicious treats, with not a single stinker in the bunch. Let’s see how it all ends and if we’ve learned anything along the way. First, we have the Round Two matchups.

Division 2: Gleaming Pancake (Jeppson’s 100 Proof Bourbon) vs. Lumpy Telescope (Maker’s Mark)

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: As I go back and forth nosing these, I'm always amazed at how the comparison allows you to sense different notes. When Lumpy Telescope was being compared to Soggy Parrot, there was no hint of the smoky maple on the nose that I'm getting now that it is being compared to Gleaming Pancake. This is why the "real" tasting notes I do are always done with a clean palate.

Both of these are quite tasty in the mouth. However, the softer mouthfeel of Gleaming Pancake and the baking spice is a little nicer than the slightly bitter stone fruit notes of Lumpy Telescope.

Winner: Gleaming Pancake (Jeppson’s 100 Proof Bourbon) moves on to the Championship Round on the softer mouthfeel and baking spice.

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Division 1: Rusty Marshmallow (Old Bardstown) vs. Wobbly Cactus (Jim Beam Black)

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: Not a ton of difference on the nose between these, with Rusty Marshmallow being slightly more vibrant. As for the mouth and finish, it seems that I like whichever I’ve had last. The cinnamon roll notes of Rusty Marshmallow are delicious. But what puts it over the edge is that I like its finish better. Tough one.

Winner: Rusty Marshmallow (Old Bardstown) moves on to the Championship Round on the strength of that cinnamon roll note.

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Championship Round: Rusty Marshmallow (Old Bardstown) vs. Gleaming Pancake (Jeppson’s 100 Proof Bourbon)

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: On the nose, Rusty Marshmallow is slightly more interesting. A little breadier. Not better, but more interesting. Still tied as we head into the mouth and finish. I must be really into cinnamon spice notes right now because both of these have that in spades on the mouth and finish. Damn! This one is tough. At the end of the day, Rusty Marshmallow just had slightly more flavor than Gleaming Pancake, and since both were delicious, I'll use that as the tie-breaker.

Winner: Rusty Marshmallow (Old Bardstown)

Congrats to Old Bardstown, the 2025 BourbonGuy.com Bracket Champion!

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This was an interesting contest for me. I knew going in that there was only one bourbon that I might need to brace myself for before taking the first sip. Unfortunately for me, I had no idea when or where that one would show up. But luckily, every one of the bourbons was good. I don’t think I’d say there was anything in here that would warrant a “meh/neutral” rating if it were being tasted alone, which makes the contest so much fun as a taster. Though, seeing my reactions to bad whiskey might have been more entertaining as a reader.

So, what did I learn about each of these?

First off, the winner—Old Bardstown. I’m not sure that when I started this project 12 years ago, I would have ever expected a craft bourbon to be in the contest, much less win it. Twelve years ago, small distilleries were almost exclusively more expensive and lower quality than the big guys. At that point, the idea that a small distiller could compete with the big brands on price was ludicrous. Plus, most of them just didn’t taste as good. That has changed over the years, and I’m very happy to see it.

Moving over to the other Championship contender, Jeppson’s 100 Proof Bourbon was the bottle that I thought I might need to dump after the competition was over. I wouldn’t mean to, and I’d swear during the competition that it was pretty okay. But I’d never reach for it and would eventually dump it when I needed the shelf space. That’s what I thought I’d be writing here. But no—this was a decent bourbon. And since it is likely a blend of MGP and Dickel, based on the listed states of distillation, that’s no surprise. A Dickel bourbon won last year, so it’s not surprising that one made from it would go far this year too.

Benchmark Bonded was one that I was surprised to see knocked out in the first round. I hadn’t had it before, but I’d had the old 90-proof Benchmark and enjoyed it. I also picked up the Benchmark Full Proof back in September as well. Really enjoyed that too. I fully expected that the 100-proof version of Benchmark would go far. A probable contender. If forced to put money on a winner, this would have been the one I’d have chosen to win its division.

Maker’s Mark is the other one that I would have chosen to win its division. I really like Maker’s Mark and would have guessed I’d have liked it better than Larceny, Old Forester, and something I’d never heard of before. Not much for me to learn here. I just really like it.

These days, when I think of Larceny, I usually think of the Barrel Proof version that I get samples of a few times per year. I almost never think of the standard 92-proof version. I had a bottle that tasted funny a few years back, and it put me off of it for a while. I enjoyed it here, but there was no way that it was going to beat one of my favorite bourbons. It got a bad draw and suffered from it. I wonder how it would have fared if Larceny and Jim Beam Black had switched spots so it could have gone up against the final wheated bourbon.

Speak of the Devil, Rebel 100 is the final wheated bourbon in the contest. I had really wanted to find one more sub-$25 wheated bourbon so I could have wheated and non-wheated divisions, but alas, there aren’t that many wheated bourbons on the market, and even fewer that are affordable. If memory serves, I think Buffalo Trace might be the only other “big guy” to regularly produce one. And good luck getting anything that shares a mash bill with Pappy out of there without it costing an arm and a leg.

Jim Beam Black is a good bourbon. For some reason, I never buy it, but it is a good bourbon. The issue is that I usually need to be in the mood for it. And I don’t drink enough these days to have “change of pace” bourbons on my shelf.

Finally, Old Forester 86 is also a great bourbon. Personally, I prefer its higher-proof cousins, though. The 100 proof is delicious, and the Whiskey Row Series is just phenomenal. But 86 proof is nothing to sneeze at.

Now that we are done, it’s time to turn the page to the future. Next week, we will look at the samples that have been stacking up while the contest was going on. As much fun as this was, it’s fun to try new bourbons too.

Once again, congrats to Willett and Old Bardstown on their 2025 Championship!

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12th Annual BourbonGuy.com Brackets: Round 1: Larceny vs Maker’s Mark

Welcome to the third matchup of Round One for the 2025 BourbonGuy.com Brackets. These were tasted in an order only known to my wife as another bit of obfuscation to hide what was being tasted. Tonight, Division 2’s Number 3 seed, Maker’s Mark, takes on Number 2 seed, Larceny Bourbon.

Maker’s Mark is possibly the most famous bottle of bourbon there is. It is available everywhere. The look is iconic and has remained relatively unchanged for over 60 years. It is distilled at the beautiful Maker’s Mark Distillery in Loretto, KY. Honestly, if you haven’t visited, add it to your bucket list. It is the second of the three wheated bourbons in the competition. This bottle was purchased at Viking Liquor Barrel in Prior Lake, MN, for $24.97 for a 750 mL bottle or $1.66 per pour, making it the most expensive bourbon in the competition.

Their opponent is the last wheated bourbon in the competition. That’s right—it’s a wheated-on-wheated matchup. Larceny Bourbon is produced by Heaven Hill out of Bardstown, KY. This bottle was purchased at Total Wine in Burnsville, MN, for $22.99 for a 750 mL bottle or $1.53 per pour.

All of the competitions this year were tasted blind, and we knew the winner of the competition prior to any reveal. Notes, thoughts, and conclusions were all recorded before we knew which bourbon was which. Needless to say, some of my conclusions were surprising to me. Tasting notes may be a little unusual since they were tasted side by side and will have influenced the perception of one another.

Lumpy Telescope (Maker’s Mark)

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.66

Details: 45% ABV

Nose: Stone fruit, dusty oak, and a touch of caramel

Mouth: Sweet and fruity, with notes of stone fruit and caramel

Finish: Medium length with sweet, fruity, and cinnamon notes

Soggy Parrot (Larceny)

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.53

Details: 46% ABV

Nose: Muted. Can't pick up much beyond light caramel, vanilla, and oak

Mouth: Oak, toasted nuts

Finish: Gentle with a nice bitterness

Thoughts:

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: f these were matched against other opponents, they might have both advanced. However, I have a bit of a sweet tooth when it comes to bourbon. For that reason, Lumpy Telescope advances.

Post-Reveal Thoughts: No surprises here. I’ve long said that Maker’s Mark is my favorite wheated bourbon. Plus, it is the highest-priced product in the contest. If it is worth the price being asked, it should win, especially if the proof and age difference are negligible.

Winner: Maker’s Mark is advancing to round 2.

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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.

12th Annual BourbonGuy.com Brackets: The “Man, It’s Getting Hard to Find Things Under $25” Edition

You know what time it is! The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament has already started, which means everyone is in Bracket Mode. It really is a wonderful time of year. Up here in the northernmost state in the contiguous U.S., the snow is still trying to fall, though the end is in sight. Gardeners have started their seeds, there are days when the windows can be opened, and, of course, there are brackets to be filled out—and busted.

No, not those silly basketball or hockey brackets. We’re talking Bourbon Brackets. And let me tell you, this really is my favorite time of year. In fact, I enjoy it so much that whenever I decide to hang up the ol’ keyboard, I already know what my last series of posts will be: brackets. But don’t worry—that’s a ways off yet. I’d like to make it to at least 15 years of publishing first.

And let me tell you, this year’s competition is a good one. Of the seven major bourbon producers that existed when I started this site (Beam/Maker’s, Buffalo Trace/Barton, MGP (now including Lux Row), Heaven Hill, Four Roses, Wild Turkey, and Brown-Forman), five are represented this year. The other two have been featured often enough that I used their spots for some newer faces.

The Selection Rules

This year’s selection process was simple:

• The bourbon had to be in a 750 mL bottle

• It had to cost under $25

That’s it!

For seeding, I sorted by proof first, followed by stated age (if applicable), and then used price as the final tiebreaker. Here’s what that got us:

Division 1

• Seed 1: Benchmark Bonded

  • A reader suggestion from last year. It's not available in Minnesota (that I’ve seen), so I grabbed it at Binny’s Beverage Depot in Chicago for $19.99 back in September of 2024. 100 proof.

  • Nonsense name: Baffled Toaster

• Seed 2: Rebel 100

  • The first of three wheated bourbons in the competition—and the cheapest of the three 100-proof bottles.

  • Purchased at Viking Liquor Barrel (Prior Lake, MN) for $17.09.

  • Nonsense name: Grumpy Cloud

• Seed 3: Jim Beam Black

  • The newly age-stated 7-year-old version, bottled at 90 proof.

  • Purchased at Total Wine (Burnsville, MN) for $20.99.

  • Nonsense name: Wobbly Cactus

• Seed 4: Old Bardstown

  • The only true craft whiskey in the contest, distilled by Willett in Bardstown, KY, and bottled at 90 proof.

  • Purchased at South Lyndale Liquor (Minneapolis, MN) for $21.99.

  • Nonsense name: Rusty Marshmallow

Division 2

• Seed 1: Jeppson’s 100 Proof

  • A sourced bourbon from the folks in Chicago who make Malört.

  • Purchased at South Lyndale Liquor (Minneapolis, MN) for $19.99.

  • Nonsense name: Gleaming Pancake

• Seed 2: Larceny Bourbon

  • The second of three wheated bourbons, coming in at 92 proof.

  • Purchased at Total Wine (Burnsville, MN) for $22.99.

  • Nonsense name: Soggy Parrot

• Seed 3: Maker’s Mark Bourbon

  • The final wheated bourbon in the contest—also the lowest proof (90 proof) and highest price of the three.

  • Purchased at Viking Liquor Barrel (Prior Lake, MN) for $24.97.

  • Nonsense name: Lumpy Telescope

• Seed 4: Old Forester 86 Proof

  • The lowest proof of the contest, making it the lowest seed.

  • Purchased at Viking Liquor Barrel (Prior Lake, MN) for $22.49.

  • Nonsense name: Zesty Doorknob

Keeping It Blind: The Setup

Of course, that list doesn’t eliminate inherent bias, does it? So, as usual, we took a few extra steps to keep the tasting blind—while still keeping track of what advanced.

Here’s how we set it up (it’s an oh-so-simple process):

1. I seeded the whiskey in the bracket as listed above.

2. I poured 200 mL bottles of each bourbon and labeled them with their nonsense names.

3. I made a separate bracket using only the nonsense names and handed it, along with the bottles, to my wife.

From there, she takes over.

• She doesn’t know what’s in each bottle (thanks to the nonsense names).

• She pours and keeps track of the winners.

• All I have to do is taste, write, and pick my favorite. It’s a pretty slick system.

The empty bracket is below, and as usual, there were plenty of storylines and surprises along the way—wheated matchups, high proof vs. low proof, price battles, and more. But that’s for the future. In the meantime, who you got? Let us know down in the comments!

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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.

Maker's Mark The Lost Recipe Series, Edition 01, 2024

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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MAKER’S MARK CELLAR AGED BOURBON 2024

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.

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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.

Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged Bourbon

I’d like to thank the folks at Maker’s Mark for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

It is officially September. The time of year where I take half of a month off and go on vacation just as the bourbon news is heating up for the year. (Can you tell that this isn’t a profit driven enterprise?) September is a wonderful month for my wife and I. Both of our birthdays and our wedding anniversary happen within a week of one another. And as I mentioned previously, we also go on vacation to celebrate another trip around the sun with one another.

So what’s the plan for BourbonGuy.com? Well, not much will change. I’m writing ahead, so the posts may be a little shorter and may be down to once per week while I’m gone. I’m covering everything that the whiskey fairy delivered prior to vacation so that the news is still fresh and timely. But I’m also deep into vacation mode so…yeah.

Let’s get started on the first one. This is a bourbon that I’ve been looking forward to ever since I saw the press release come across my desk a few weeks ago. I’m a big Maker’s Mark fan. I’ve been an Ambassador for years. In fact, I often say that Maker’s is really the only Wheated Bourbon that I consistently like. Others are either mood-dependent or just don’t hit right.

I’m a huge fan of Maker’s at 101 proof. The Cask Strength is also on my shelf fairly regularly. I’ve found the Private Select bourbons and their Special Releases to be hit or miss, but I always enjoy the Maker’s 46 and the rest of the core lineup. I say all that to let you know where I am coming from with this. I never realized that there was a hole in the Maker’s Mark experience prior to learning about tonight’s Bourbon, Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged. But once I heard of an extra-aged version of Maker’s, well that hole was glaring. I needed to try it.

But before we talk about what I thought of the Bourbon, Let’s give Maker’s a change to speak for themselves.

To become Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged, barrels of the distillery’s classic 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 and can be called “Maker’s Mark.” Barrels are then moved into the distillery’s proprietary whisky cellar for an additional five to six years of aging before being blended to taste and bottled. Built into the natural limestone shelf of the Kentucky hills, 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. 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. The inaugural release of Cellar Aged is a marriage of 12-year-old and 11-year-old whisky – 87% and 13%, respectively – bottled at cask strength (115.7 proof). 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. 

Ok now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s dig in.

Maker's Mark Cellar Aged

Purchase Info: This review sample was provided at no cost but the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $150 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $10

Details: 57.87% ABV. 11-12 years old.

Nose: Cocoa powder, leather, caramel, vanilla, and oak.

Mouth: Cinnamon, stone fruit, caramel, cocoa, leather, vanilla, and oak

Finish: Long and warm with notes of cinnamon, oak, and a chocolate caramel that transitions to vanilla.

Thoughts: This is really good. I personally think that it is a bit too hot to drink neat, but it takes a splash of water well. Water tames the heat, but retains most of the flavor notes while also bringing out a touch of mint. I've been a Maker's Mark Ambassador since 2011 and have had a lot of Maker's over the years. This is probably in the top two or three Maker's products that I've tasted. If I see this, I will probably “have to” pick up a bottle. But due to the cost, I will have to do some mental gymnastics to justify it to myself too.

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Maker's Mark DNA Project from 2021-2022 (Samples provided by @bgphilt)

I’d like to tell you a tale. It is a tale most harrowing and yet most satisfying. It is a tale of joy, heartbreak, danger, and fun. And it begins thusly:

Ahem. Sorry about that. Kinda got carried away channeling my inner Dungeon Master there.

Anyway, about three weeks ago, I reviewed a sample from Maker’s Mark that was intended to highlight why they have continued to use a 110° proof barrel-entry proof in spite of a majority of their competitors using the maximum allowed barrel-entry proof of 125° proof. In that article, I stated:

The lower entry proof that Maker’s Mark employs (110° proof) is one of the elements that Maker’s thinks make them special. And maybe it does. I have yet to taste a Maker’s product using the industry standard 125° entry proof, so I don’t know.

Well, that statement inspired one of your fellow readers to reach out to me. He is a member of the Maker’s Mark Whiskey Drop Club (and if you live in Kentucky, Nebraska, North Dakota, or Washington, D.C., you can get on the waitlist for this club at the Maker’s Mark website). Apparently, in December 2021 and February 2022, the drops were of something called the Maker’s Mark DNA Project. A series of four bottles of cask-strength Maker’s Mark. The difference between each bottle was the barrel-entry proof of the distillate. December 2021 included one bourbon that was entered into the barrel at 110° proof, and another entered at 115° proof. The February 2022 shipment included bourbons entered at 120° proof and 125° proof.

So Phil (@bgphilt on both Instagram and Twitter), being both an avid reader of BourbonGuy.com—I assume—and a member of the Whiskey Drop Club, reached out to me to offer me the opportunity to taste samples of these four bourbons that Maker’s Mark released to show you why they stick with a barrel-entry proof of 110° proof even though it is more expensive to use that lower-proof distillate to fill their barrels. I happily accepted, and he sent me a small sample of each. This is the joy I spoke of above.

The heartbreak comes when I tell you that as I was taking a photo of the samples for the lead photo of this article, I knocked the 115° proof version off of the deck railing and onto the cement patio 13 feet below. Shattering the bottle and sending whiskey and broken glass across my grilling area. That is the heartbreak and the danger I spoke of. (I mean, come on. I was in serious danger of poking my finger as I cleaned it up. It may have even made me bleed my own blood.)

Now onto the fun. I still had the most important samples left. If I needed to destroy one on my way to happiness, the 115 was the least important to discovering the difference between the Maker’s 110° proof entry and what would happen if they used the industry-standard 125° proof. And so I set out to do tastings of the three remaining at cask strength, take formal tasting notes of them, and then dilute them all to the standard Maker’s Mark proof of 90° proof and see what the alternate realities would be like where Maker’s decided to switch to either 120° or 125° proof for barrel entry. And I’m going to include photos of bottle shots and explanatory posters that Phil was kind enough to send photos of as well. So dig in. Here we go.

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From the bottle labels (same text on each aside from the entry proof and the bottling proof):

Key Question: What is the impact on taste profile when we change the barrel entry proof?

Outcome: Historically, our bourbon has always entered the barrel at 110 proof. These bourbons experiment with multiple entry proofs to understand its influence on flavor. Sip this batch, alongside the others in the series, to discover the difference that barrel entry proof makes on the bourbon.

For this project, the variables were all the same aside from the initial barreling proof and the final bottling proof. As such I’ll list the variables that remained constant here:

Details: Barrel Entry Date: July 2013. Barrel Dump Date: June 2021. Barrel Maturity Location: 4th Floor (non-rotated), Warehouse No. 30. Sample Size: 100 Barrels Aged, 60 Barrels Released.

Maker’s Mark DNA Project: 110 Proof Barrel Entry

From the Poster:

OUR TASTE VISION: When Bill and Margie Samuels started crafting our iconic whisky, they wanted a refined flavor-forward spirit they could share with friends. A whisky with less bite. Their original taste vision started with our soft red winter wheat, creating a more delicate distillate and rounded mouthfeel. And, it was this distillate that would enter the barrel at 110 proof and later become what we know today as Maker's Mark.®

Bill and Margie wanted to make something they'd be proud to put their mark on, a new kind of bourbon experience that was full-flavored and inviting, one that brought "good taste" to "tastes good."

Through ingenuity, patience and a determined taste vision, Bill not only reinvented the family whisky, he and his collaborator—Margie—also revolutionized an industry.

This experiment was conducted to validate choices made in 1953 on how to best craft our whisky. Those choices were made without the modern amenities we have today.

Details: Barrel Entry ABV: 55% ABV. Bottling ABV: 57.45% ABV.

Nose: Toffee, Vanilla, red fruit, bubblegum, and almond.

Mouth: Cinnamon, toffee, almond, oak, and a touch of vanilla.

Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium. Notes of vibrant cinnamon, dark chocolate, and oak linger.

Maker’s Mark DNA Project: 115 Proof Barrel Entry

From the Poster:

A BARREL-ENTRY PROOF HISTORY: No Kentucky bourbon can be distilled above 125 proof. This became law in 1962 for whiskies qualifying as Straight

Bourbon Whisky. The proof limit didn't just lighten the flavor. It also decreased the number of barrels used, seeing as you can only use barrels one time. At 125 proof, it would take eight years to achieve the flavor of products that were produced at proofs post-Prohibition between 100-110 proof.

This was just about a decade after Bill Samuels, Sr., laid down the first Maker's Mark barrels using the entry proof of 110. In the 1980s, 125 proof became standard in practice and widely adopted by distillers. At Maker's Mark, we opted to keep that low barrel proof as part of our commitment to honor our original taste vision.

To understand our flavor journey, our DNA projects use modern methods of analytics to explore the decisions made by our founders during the early development of our whisky.

Barrel entry proofs tested: 110, 115, 120 and 125.

We can produce really good whisky at other proofs, but they are not Maker’s. Our 110 Barrel Entry Proof held up best as it did in 1953.

Details: Barrel Entry ABV: 57.5% ABV. Bottling ABV: 58.8% ABV.

Tasting notes: are unavailable as I am a klutz and destroyed the sample before tasting. I’m pretty sure it was delicious, though.

Maker’s Mark DNA Project: 120 Proof Barrel Entry

From the Poster:

THE CONCLUSION: This is a combination of scientific analysis overlayed with our team’s sensory notes for each liquid. The graph shows how the flavors work together. They are not individual.

Details: Barrel Entry ABV: 60% ABV. Bottling ABV: 61.4% ABV.

Nose: This will sound weird, but the initial note I get is the smell of warm sunshine hitting a hay field. Other notes include mint, cocoa, cinnamon, and oak.

Mouth: Spicy with notes of cinnamon, cola, ginger, and oak.

Finish: Long and warm with notes of cinnamon, ginger, caramel, and tannic oak.

Maker’s Mark DNA Project: 125 Proof Barrel Entry

From the Poster:

THE CONCLUSION: After reviewing the results, we found that entry proof had a material impact on the bourbon taste. After eight years of working on this project, we realized that entry proof is way more impactful to your whisky than we could have imagined. While the flavors created in the alternate proofs are unique, they weren't the original taste vision of our founders, and so we determined we needed to retain an entry proof into the barrel of 110 even though it yields less mature volume that a higher original entry proof.

In conclusion, with the science and analytics available today, we were able to reaffirm the decision to enter the barrel at 110 proof made by Bill Samuels, Sr., in 1953.

While we are pleased to share these with you in experimental form, we will never alter our barrel entry proof. The Samuels family had it right from the start.

Details: Barrel Entry ABV: 62.5% ABV. Bottling ABV: 63.2% ABV.

Nose: The first thing that jumps out at me is oak. Past that, I'm finding ginger and caramel.

Mouth: Hot. Brown sugar, tannic oak, cinnamon, ginger, and red fruit.

Finish: Sweet, hot, and long. Notes of cola, ginger, and tannic oak.

Impressions on samples cut to 90° proof

Nose: 120 shows much more sweetness and mint than 110. 125 is a lot like 110. 120 is the outlier.

Mouth: There is a subtle difference between 110 and 120 at this proof. 120 is showing more oak influence. 125 shows even more oak influence. It's the most tannic of the three. It also brings more sweetness and spice than the other two. That oak influence continues into the finish.

Thoughts: Of the three, I think that the 110° proof is my favorite when diluted to the standard bottle proof. 125 is my wife's favorite. She really likes some oak influence, though. 120 and 125 are similar at this proof though we both agreed that 120 was the clear number three of the group.

Final Thoughts

This was such a fun exploration! I love when companies allow fans to explore how changing one variable in how you make whiskey affects things. In this case, upping the barrel entry proof seems to have extracted more tannic oak notes. It also seems to have accentuated the spicy notes allowing more ginger and cola to come to the forefront as the barrel-entry proof increased. Trying these at full proof, I have to say that 120 is my favorite of the three (125 is my wife's), but neither of them tastes like Maker's Mark. I totally understand why they don't want to change things up.

Thanks again to Phil (@bgphilt on Twitter and Instagram) for sending these samples along. I hope he had as much fun reading this as I did tasting these.

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