Maker’s Mark unveils The Keepers Release
Suntory Global Spirits-owned Maker's Mark Bourbon has released the latest iteration in its Wood Finishing Series, The Keepers Release.
Launched in 2019, the Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series is a collection of one-of-a-kind whiskeys that use a wood stave-finishing technique said to enhance distinctive characteristics already present in the brand's Bourbon. Previous releases in the series include various experimental limited editions and last year's The Heart Release. "From the beginning, our founders – my grandparents – went to remarkable lengths to create an uncompromisingly delicious Bourbon," said Rob Samuels, an eighth-generation whisky maker and managing director of Maker's Mark. "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." The Keepers Release was inspired by the Star Hill Farm warehouse team, which ensures every barrel of Maker's Mark matures consistently according to the founders' taste vision. The whiskey was matured for more than six years in hand-rotated barrels and bottled at 54.6% ABV. The Keepers displays notes of rich seasoned wood, brûlée sugar, tobacco, dried dark fruit and roasted sweetness. Dr Blake Layfield, master distiller at Maker's Mark, added: "The Keepers Release was born from our close collaboration with the Maker's Mark warehouse team, the guardians of our barrels. "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 flavours of this release." The Keepers Release is now available in the US with a suggested retail price of US$74.99. Last month, the Bourbon brand launched a global advertising campaign, Perfectly Unreasonable, celebrating Maker's Mark's 'uncompromising' whiskey-making process.
