Maker’s Mark announced on March 19 that the bourbon brand was unveiling the latest installment within its Wood Finishing Series. The Keepers Release 2025 clocks in at 109.2 proof and has a suggested retail price of $74.99.
“The Keepers Release was born from our close collaboration with the Maker’s Mark warehouse team, the guardians of our barrels,” said Maker’s Mark Master Distiller Dr. Blake Layfield in a statement. “Their sensory experience of Maker’s Mark is unlike anyone else’s — the aromatic oak at different times of the day, evolving tasting notes of our whisky as it ages over multiple seasons — which provided inspiration and helped us shape the flavors of this release.”
The bourbon brand known for its signature red wax-covered labels shared that its Wood Finishing Series is a collection of one-of-a-kind releases that implement wood stave finishing to showcase specific characteristics that Maker’s Mark bourbon is known for.
Maker’s Mark expressed that The Keepers Release 2025 has a rich, oak-forward scent of brûléed sugar, tobacco and toasted wood. The finish lingers on and is full of dried dark fruit aromas. The whiskey possesses a lengthy, sweet and roasted quality that lingers long after it’s done being enjoyed.
“From the beginning, our founders – my grandparents – went to remarkable lengths to create an uncompromisingly delicious bourbon,” Eighth Generation Whisky Maker and Managing Director of Maker’s Mark Rob Samuels said in a statement. “We are delighted to introduce this latest Wood Finishing Series expression that celebrates the team who still rotate each and every barrel of Maker’s Mark by hand and who continue to embrace our founders’ perfectly unreasonable pursuit of excellence.”
Maker’s Mark dazzled the whiskey world in 2024 with the release of its Cellar Aged Bourbon. The bourbon consisted of a blend of 12- and 13-year-old bourbons, making it the brand’s oldest bourbon to date.
According to Forbes, fans had been begging Maker’s Mark to release an extended-age bourbon, but the brand resisted for many years. Despite the popularity of heavily-aged whiskeys, Maker’s Mark’s claim to fame stems from its approachability due to its relatively modest six to eight years of aging. The brand wanted to wait until the right moment where it could release a heavily-aged bourbon, without compromising its signature approachability.
“Unlike many bourbons of the time, which were bold, harsh and astringent, Maker’s Mark was aged for six to eight years and remained approachable,” said Senior Director and Head of Innovation, Blending and Quality at Maker’s Mark Blake Layfield to Forbes. “It wasn’t until the construction of our cellar in 2019 that we could create an older-aged bourbon without sacrificing the signature Maker’s Mark character.”
No responses yet