Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series 2023 Limited Release
Maker's Mark · Maker's Mark Distillery
This annual limited release showcases what Maker's Mark does best: balance. The custom oak staves add complexity without overwhelming the distillery's signature wheated character. A bourbon that rewards patience and attention in equal measure.
Nose
Rich caramel and toasted wheat open the nose, followed by dried orange peel and a dusting of cocoa. A faint minerality emerges underneath, like wet limestone after rain.
Palate
The palate is dense and chewy with butterscotch, dark cherry, and baking spice. Charred oak gives structure while the wheated mash bill contributes a pillowy softness that absorbs the higher proof without burn.
Finish
Long and warming with lingering maple sweetness, toasted pecan, and a dry mineral close that keeps the sweetness honest.
- Mash Bill
- 70% Corn, 16% Red Winter Wheat, 14% Malted Barley
- Barrel Type
- New charred American oak with custom finishing staves
- Bottled in Bond
- No
- Single Barrel
- No
- Wheated
- Yes
Cocktail Suggestion
Iron Hollow Old Fashioned — 2 oz Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series 2023 · 0.25 oz demerara syrup · 3 dashes Angostura bitters · 1 dash orange bitters · Stir over a large ice cube, express an orange peel over the surface.
Food Pairing
The fatty richness of smoked pork belly mirrors the bourbon's butterscotch notes, while a brown butter sweet potato purée echoes the wheat-driven softness and caramel depth.
From the spring-fed hollows of Loretto, Kentucky, where Maker's Mark has distilled its wheated bourbon since 1953, using limestone-filtered water drawn from the same aquifer Bill Samuels Sr. selected more than seven decades ago.
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