No red wax: Maker’s Mark Distillery debuts new whisky that’s a first in many ways
Maker’s Mark Distillery, famously known for using only one recipe to make its bourbon since 1953, is launching a new wheat whisky that it hopes will revolutionize distilling and farming in Kentucky and elsewhere.
Star Hill Farm Whisky will debut in Kentucky and elsewhere in mid-May as the first whisky produced through regenerative farming practices, according to Rob Samuels, managing director and eighth-generation distiller at Maker’s Mark.
Named for the 1,100-acre farm that’s home to the distillery, it’s the product of more than a decade of research and trial and error that involved veering away from Maker’s Mark’s original bourbon recipe.
“It’s something we’ve been dreaming about, and thinking about, and planning for close to 11 years,” Samuels said. “Bourbon is fundamentally nature distilled. ... When we share our first-ever new brand with the world in a couple of weeks, Star Hill Farm is a celebration of nature as the maker.”
It will be available in the U.S. and the United Kingdom in mid-May and in Australia later this year.
How is Star Hill Farm Whisky different?
It differs from traditional Maker’s Mark bourbon in several ways and leans even further into the flavors of wheat.
In fact, the new whisky can’t be called a bourbon at all, because it contains no corn (by law, bourbon has to have 51% corn.)
It’s a wheat whisky, and the distillery’s first new mashbill in over 70 years.
It’s a blend of two mashbills — one of soft red winter wheat and malted barley, and another of 100% malted wheat aged seven and eight years. The final blend is made from grains harvested, distilled and barreled in fall 2016 and 2017, bottled at cask strength.
The inaugural release is 114.7 proof and has a suggested retail price of $99.99.
Because it’s a new recipe, it won’t be dipped in the traditional Maker’s red wax. And instead of the iconic square-shouldered bottle of Maker’s, Star Hill is packaged in an entirely new shape.
But there are many other nods to the Samuels family and their history with the brand. For instance, traditional Maker’s bears a “maker’s mark” on the bottle of “SIV,” honoring the Samuels and founder Bill Sr., then thought to be the fourth generation of distillers in the family.
His son, Bill Jr., later discovered Bill Sr. was actually a sixth-generation distiller ... so the new whisky bears the mark “SVIII” for creator Rob Samuels, who is the eighth in his line.
And this new whisky also uses hand-torn labels, just as founder Margie Samuels created for the original.
For decades, the only changes to Maker’s Mark were to the outside of the bottle; the distiller often released special bottles with different colors of wax and labels that celebrated basketball championships and famous racehorses.
Then in 2010, Bill Samuels Jr. innovated Maker’s Mark 46, which kept the same recipe but added a special aging process that included extra staves for extra flavor. That has since been opened up to customizable barrel picks. And in 2023, the distillery added an extra-aged bourbon, Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged.
First new Maker’s Mark distillery recipe
This time, the difference is on the inside of the bottle. This whisky is designed to be an annual release that will reflect the “terroir” and seasonality of the region of Kentucky where much of the grain will be produced, Rob Samuels said.
It’s the first release anywhere to bear the University of Kentucky Estate Whiskey Alliance’s certification that verifies the grains used were sourced locally.
To earn that certification, all production processes, including milling, cooking, fermentation, distillation, barreling, aging and bottling occur on the estate distillery, and at least two-thirds of all mashbill grains are grown on estate-owned or -controlled land.
So Star Hill Farm Whisky will be different every year, blended with the experimental flavor vision of master distiller Blake Layfield and lead blender Beth Buckner.
Each release will be akin to its own “vintage,” Layfield said. “It will be wildly variable from year to year.”
That’s a big change from traditional Maker’s Mark, which strives to maintain consistent flavor in its premium bourbon year after year, no matter what.
This first version is two mashbills in five different styles, barrels aged on different levels in the warehouse, he said.
How does Star Hill taste?
“This release is a complex yet balanced blend of seven- and eight-year whiskies, bottled uncut at cask strength,” Layfield said. “The nose captivates with notes of buttery caramel, golden raisins and gingerbread.
“On the palate, you’ll find a soft, bright mix of honeyed toffee, chocolate-covered cherries, and a hint of apple pie spice. The finish is smooth and inviting, with toasted pecans and soft cinnamon bringing it all together.”
What makes Star Hill special
The new whisky is special in another way: Proceeds will go toward educating farmers on regenerative agricultural practices, including no-till/low-till planting, use of cover crops and crop rotation to protect and improve the soil and other practices to protect soil naturally.
Samuels, a disciple of the movement profiled in the documentary “Kiss the Ground,” said the distillery, owned by Suntory along with Jim Beam, has focused on regenerative agriculture on their own farm, with 350 acres under cultivation. He is also collaborating with other Kentucky farms to grow 50,000 acres in total.
“This has been one helluva journey, and we’ve learned a lot. We’ve built relationships to better understand the role of soil health and to better understand the influence of farming practices,” Samuels said. “This is a long-term commitment ... not just for Star Hill Farm Whisky but for Maker’s Mark.
“As part of the launch, we will be announcing a 1 million-acre ambition. Through the proceeds of Star Hill Farm Whisky, we are going to fund all the education and certification to move a million acres in Kentucky, New York and the UK from conventional farming to regenerative agriculture like we have with our own growers. There’s a higher purpose at the center of this whisky to move forward this regenerative future we believe in wholeheartedly.”
Maker’s Mark, in alliance with Regenified and Understanding Ag, which provide education and technical support to build healthy farm ecosystems, hopes to help transition 1 million acres to regenerative agriculture over the next three years.
This story was originally published April 8, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
