Featuring a combination of 11 and 12-year-old bourbon, Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged aims to explore the use of time to evolve, develop and mature the liquid.
“For more than 65 years, ageing our whisky for a decade-plus wasn’t something we did,” said Rob Samuels, 8th generation whisky maker and grandson of the founders at Maker's Mark. “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.
Barrels of the distillery’s classic distillate first spend approximately six years aging in traditional bourbon warehouses until they reach full maturity and can be called “Maker’s Mark.”
The barrels are then moved into the distillery’s proprietary whisky cellar for an additional five to six years of ageing before being blended to taste and bottled.
“Cellar Aged embodies an older whisky that’s distinctly Maker’s Mark. One rooted in challenging convention, delivering new flavour experiences from the environment that surrounds us, and building on a taste vision that’s been generations in the making,” added Samuels.
Cellar Aged will be an annual, limited release available in specific markets globally. The maturation approach will be consistent every year, however the specific blend of aged bourbon will vary based on which barrels are ready, by taste.
The inaugural release of Cellar Aged is bottled at cask strength and will be available in the UK from October for an rrp of £145 at retailers including Berry Bros & Rudd London.
