Maker’s Mark Just Revealed Its Oldest Bourbon Ever

After years of insisting that its smooth wheated bourbon wasn’t especially suited to aging beyond four to eight years, Maker’s Mark finally decided to give fans what they’d been longing to try: a longer-aged version of the distiller’s beloved whiskey.

The inaugural Cellar Aged offering, released in 2023, blended 11- and 12-year-old bourbons, making it the oldest bourbon the brand had ever bottled by quite a bit.

The end result was generally well received. The Bourbon Finder gave it an A rating. Breaking Bourbon was slightly less enthused, giving it an above-average rating of 3.5 barrels out of 5. Naturally, the 30,000-bottle series quickly sold out.

Now, the distillery has announced the second entry in the Cellar Aged series for 2024, which is even older than the previous version.

What is Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged?

For reference, Maker’s Mark’s classic bourbon typically ages around six years in rickhouses before making its way into bottles.

As suggested by the name of the series, the bourbon in the Cellar Aged series is then moved to the company’s limestone cellars for an another long nap.

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Moving the barrel’s location is critical in Maker’s Mark’s mind. The wild temperature swings of a normal Kentucky rickhouse create frequent expansions and contractions in the barrel wood, helping the whiskey and wood interact to impart flavor. This process is what makes whiskey so delicious. But it’s also why extended aging in barrels can leave many whiskeys tasting bitter and overly woody.

In contrast, a limestone cellar is a more stable environment in terms of temperature fluctuations, effectively mellowing the interactions between the bourbon and wood. This allows the middle-aged Maker’s Mark to keep aging while avoiding adding the stronger bitter flavor notes typical in some older bourbons.

What’s different about the 2024 edition?

This year’s release is a mixture of 15% 12-year-old and 85% 13-year-old bourbon, making it the oldest expression of Maker’s Mark ever. The combined blend nets at proof of 119.3.

Beyond the whiskey itself, buying one of the 33,000 bottles will also be an adventure, according to the Louisville Courier Journal.

Anyone attending the sold-out Kentucky Bourbon festival this year in Bardstown, which runs from Sept. 13-15, can score a single bottle on a first-come, first-serve basis at Maker’s Mark’s booth. During the same period, a limited number of bottles will also be sold directly at Maker’s Mark Distillery, with a limit of one bottle per person throughout the weekend.

Starting on Monday, September 16th, interested buyers can also book a Cellar Aged Experience with that includes tour and tasting option.

It’s worth noting that the price of this release is also slightly higher than last year, jumping from $150 to $175.

Makers Mark

Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024

• $175 at Maker's Mark

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