Maker's Mark Is Dropping Its Oldest Bourbon Expression Ever, and It's Actually Affordable

There aren't many things that are made the same way they were in 1953 – not cars, not clothing, and definitely not anything with a plug, battery, or display screen. One exception might be Maker's Mark, which has spent the past 70 years aging its bourbon the same way to ensure that it has the smooth and creamy taste that whisky drinkers have come to expect. 

That tried-and-true process is about to change with the Kentucky distillery's new Cellar Aged Bourbon. For the first time, this new limited release has been aged longer than the six-ish years that "traditional" Maker's Mark spends in the company's warehouses. Although Maker's Mark expects to release a new expression of Cellar Aged every year, this debut version is a blend of 87% barrels that have been aged for 12 years, and 13% barrels that have been aged for 11 years. 

"For more than 65 years, aging our whisky for a decade-plus wasn't something we did," Rob Samuels, an 8th-generation whisky maker and grandson of the Maker's Mark founders, said in a statement. "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." 

Maker’s Mark had never considered releasing an older bourbon, mostly because of the limitations of its previous aging process. After barrels were stored for longer than their six-year rule-of-thumb, the bourbon inside developed a sharper, more tannin-heavy taste that was considerably different than what the longtime whisky-makers expected from one of their wax-sealed bottles. 

That changed in late 2016, when the distillery built a new limestone warehouse where the barrels can be stored at a constantly chilly 50 degrees. The barrels that are blended and bottled as the new Cellar Aged expression will be aged and regularly rotated for six-ish years in one of the traditional rickhouses — where they’re exposed to whatever temperature changes hit central Kentucky — then they’re moved to the new warehouse for the next six years. 

The result is an aged bourbon without the tannic bitterness that might result from spending twice the time in a less climate-controlled rickhouse. According to the Maker’s Mark website, the new Cellar Aged bourbon has an aroma of caramelized sugar, dark stone fruit, and toasted oak, with a balanced taste of “big oak,” fruit, and vanilla. Cellar Aged has a higher proof than traditional Maker’s Mark; the 2023 expression is a strong 115.7 proof. 

Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged Bourbon will have a suggested retail price of $150 per bottle. It will be available at select retailers in the United States starting in September. In October, it will be on shelves in London and Munich, and will be available in Singapore and Tokyo by early next year.