New bourbon from Maker’s Mark ‘tastes just like a barrel warehouse smells’
For decades, Maker’s Mark has prided itself on making premium bourbon that was always made the same way, with a flavor that fans could count on.
The only difference in the many commemorative bottles sold was on the outside.
But in 2019 the Loretto distillery launched the limited edition Wood Finishing Series, which uses different staves of wood and allows master distillery Denny Potter to tweak the flavors produced by the unique still design and lack of chill filtering. The bourbon’s fatty acid esters, which are not filtered out, are what give it a creamier mouth-feel, according to Rob Samuels, managing director of Maker’s Mark.
Now the third edition, FAE-01, is hitting store shelves March 1. This version uses American oak staves cooked on one side only. According to the distillery, the “infrared side” gives it heavier wood flavors and the raw side allows “more fruit-forward” flavors. This is the first time Maker’s Mark has used a staves with raw wood.
“For 2021, we leaned into our column stills and non-chill-filtering process, which, simply put, helps us retain the texture and a higher viscosity of the whisky, said Jane Bowie, Maker’s Mark director of innovation, in a news release. “What we got is an expression that highlights the fruit‑forward taste profile in an unexpected and much welcomed way. It tastes just like a barrel warehouse smells.”
The latest version is cask strength at 110.3 to 110.6 proof and has a suggested retail price of $59.99.
According to the tasting notes, it has a nose of heavy wood, dark fruit and tobacco with tastes of “deep and dried dark fruits, big midpalate with strong tobacco and barrel extractives” and a creamy lingering finish.
