Maker's Mark 46 is made by taking fully matured Maker's Mark Bourbon at cask strength and inserting specially seared French oak staves into the barrels. The bourbon finishes aging for a few months before bottling. The French oak staves selected from the Independent Stave Company were named "Stave Profile No. 46," hence the name. When Maker's Mark 46 first launched in 2010, it was the brand’s first extension for Maker’s Mark. This Maker's Mark 46 Cask Strength originally was only available at the Maker's Mark Distillery in Loretto, Kentucky for purchase. However, to mark the 10th anniversary of the launch of the brand, Maker's Mark has released this to a wider audience.

The nose is inviting with vanilla and maple notes along with a light herbal aroma. The char smoke is gentle. As you taste, the French oak staves become noticeable in the bourbon with a gentle toasted flavor. This adds a nice spiced element to the bourbon, which is soft on the palate.

Bottled at 108 to 114 proof, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength amps up the front-of-the-palate flavors of Maker’s Mark. In other words, it’s Maker’s with a lot more Maker’s. But the higher alcohol content of our Cask Strength isn’t the story here – it’s the taste. Maker’s Mark Cask Strength has more of the rich oak, vanilla, caramel and spice that are the signature flavors of Maker’s Mark.

Bottle size: 750ml

This one changed the way we think of bourbon, all because one man changed the way he thought about making it. Bill Samuels, Sr., simply wanted a whisky he would enjoy drinking. Never bitter or sharp, Maker's Mark^® is made with soft red winter wheat, instead of the usual rye, for a one-of-a-kind, full-flavored bourbon that's easy to drink. To ensure consistency, we rotate every barrel by hand and age our bourbon to taste, not time. Each and every bottle of Maker's^® is still hand-dipped in our signature red wax at our distillery in Loretto, Ky., just like Bill, Sr., would have wanted.

Tasting Notes

Palate: Rich sweetness of vanilla, honey, almond, and maple syrup with a hint of caramel.

Nose: New woody oak notes with cherry and vanilla with honey and malted cereal.

Color: Light golden copper.

Finish: Long and smooth with a maraschino cherry, baking spices, vanilla, and chocolate notes

It starts with fully matured Maker's Mark straight out of the barrel. But then it takes a bold twist. We add seared French Oak staves to the barrel, and then age it a bit longer only in winter, when bourbon matures more slowly. The result is a whisky with bolder, more complex flavors, but one whose every sip delivers the smooth, approachable whisky that Maker's Mark is famous for.

Bottle Size: 750ml

On October 1, 1953, William Samuels Sr. purchased Burks Distillery, which was situated in Loretto, Kentucky, for $35,000. Five years later, the distillery released the first bottles of Maker's Mark Bourbon Whisky, which featured the distillery's distinctive red wax seal. The distillery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1980. Made from a mash of corn, wheat, and malted barley, Maker's Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky (spelled without an "e" to honor the Samuels family's Scottish heritage) manages to marry large-scale, global production with a rich tradition in a way that few other distilleries can rival. The actual "makers" of Maker's Mark still rotate the barrels in the distillery's warehouses, bottle the whisky and dip the bottles in wax all by hand. Maker's Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon is special in that red winter wheat serves as the replacement for rye in the recipe. This special holiday release is bottled at a higher 101 proof that gives the profile some additional boldness, richness, and intensity that fans of the original are bound to appreciate.

This one changed the way we think of bourbon, all because one man changed the way he thought about making it. Bill Samuels, Sr., simply wanted a whisky he would enjoy drinking. Never bitter or sharp, Maker's Mark^® is made with soft red winter wheat, instead of the usual rye, for a one-of-a-kind, full-flavored bourbon that's easy to drink. To ensure consistency, we rotate every barrel by hand and age our bourbon to taste, not time. Each and every bottle of Maker's^® is still hand-dipped in our signature red wax at our distillery in Loretto, Ky., just like Bill, Sr., would have wanted.

This one changed the way we think of bourbon, all because one man changed the way he thought about making it. Bill Samuels, Sr., simply wanted a whisky he would enjoy drinking. Never bitter or sharp, Maker's Mark^® is made with soft red winter wheat, instead of the usual rye, for a one-of-a-kind, full-flavored bourbon that's easy to drink. To ensure consistency, we rotate every barrel by hand and age our bourbon to taste, not time. Each and every bottle of Maker's^® is still hand-dipped in our signature red wax at our distillery in Loretto, Ky., just like Bill, Sr., would have wanted.

At Maker's Mark, our wood-finishing series was created to explore new, unique expressions of our signature whisky. Beginning as fully matured Maker's Mark at cask strength, Private Selection is created by adding 10 custom wood finishing staves to each barrel. It's then aged in our limestone cellar to extract a unique, flavorful taste profile. Participants in this special barrel program get their say in the selection of these wooden staves. The finishing staves can be any combination of five flavor profiles chosen especially for this program. With 1,001 possible stave combinations, each expression of Private Selection has a customized finish and taste profile that is unique, yet undeniably Maker's.

AGING: 5 3/4 to 7 years, plus finishing of 9 weeks in cold conditions in barrels with a chosen combination of staves