Layfield will oversee the consistency and taste vision of Maker’s Mark bourbon, as well as new product innovation. He will also advance the environmental and agricultural initiatives on Star Hill Farm, home to the Maker’s Mark distillery.
Layfield joined Suntory Global Spirits from Diageo in 2019, serving most recently as senior director of innovation, blending and quality for Maker’s Mark. Layfield has a doctorate in food science from North Carolina State University and a general certificate in distilling from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling. He is also co-chair on the Research Committee of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association and serves on the board of the James B. Beam Institute at the University of Kentucky.
Buckner will continue to support Layfield. She began at Maker’s Mark in 2013 and has had a “significant role in the development of the acclaimed Wood Finishing Series”, the brand said.
