Company: Beam Suntory
Distillery: Maker’s Mark Distillery
Region: Loretto, Kentucky
Aging: 13% Whisky Aged 11 Years, 87% Whisky Aged 12 Years
ABV: 57.85% ABV
Proof: 115.7 Proof
Mash Bill: 70% Corn, 16% Soft Red Winter Wheat, 14% Malted Barley
Non-Chill Filtered: Yes
MSRP Price: $150
Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged – 2023 Release Tasting Notes
Appearance: Amber
Nose: Brown sugar, maple, vanilla, charred oak, cinnamon toast, cereal grain, light fruits, citrus notes, candied apricot
Palate: Caramel, oak, vanilla, cinnamon spice, cereal grain, cornbread, peppery spice, leather, tobacco
Finish: Heavy finish with quite a bit of heat and spice – leaves you with heavy oak, brown sugar, and strong cinnamon spice with a lingering pepper spice heat on the tail end
Is Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged an Approachable Whiskey?
Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged packs quite a bit of heat and spice coming in at 57.85% ABV.
It is also a 2023 limited edition release so it is quite expensive on the secondary market.
Either way, this isn’t a whiskey for beginners.
If you’re looking for an approachable and affordable Maker’s Mark, I’d recommend going with their store pick season releases.
Is Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged Complex?
Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged Bourbon has a few layers of flavor to it, but they are not what I expected from this bottle.
It starts with a nose that is full of brown sugar, cinnamon, heavy oak, vanilla, and some fruit notes.
On the palate, it has a nice level of brown sugar and caramel, the charred oak comes through, and after that, it is mostly just oaky tannic spice.
There is a nice peppery spice on the finish that I enjoy, but overall, this pour feels dominated by the oak and spice which come off as hot on the palate.
What are Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged’s strongest attributes/flavors?
Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2023 Release’s strongest attribute is that it is the oldest Maker’s Mark release ever.
It’s a bottle that people have been waiting for from Maker’s Mark for quite a while and have been looking forward to.
I’m a big fan of Maker’s Mark whiskey and have been purchasing and reviewing their bottles for a while now.
I also had the chance to celebrate my birthday in Kentucky with my Dad and Maker’s Mark was one of the best distillery tours of our Kentucky Bourbon Trail trip.
This is a special bottle from an historical aspect for Maker’s Mark and is one of their first attempts into releasing older aged whisky.
Is Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged a go-to whiskey?
Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2023 Release is a whiskey that is quite rare and reserved for special occasions.
This bottle is nearly empty because it was tasted by quite a few people interested in seeing what Maker’s Mark’s oldest released whisky would taste like.
Is Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged priced accurately to its quality?
Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2023 Release costed $150 at MSRP price.
From a collector’s standpoint, I can understand Maker’s Mark releasing the bottle at this price.
From a quality and flavor standpoint, I think this bottle under-delivers on its price tag.
I think $100 MSRP would be more reasonable, but I can understand that it is a monumental bottle and one of Maker’s Marks early experiments into special release and older aged whisky releases.
Conclusion for Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2023 Release
I’m a huge fan of Maker’s Mark BEP 2023 Wood Finishing Series and also Maker’s Mark’s previous Wodd Finishing Series releases.
They generally release around the $70-80 price range and I think they are pretty spectacular steals at that price.
I would highly recommend picking them up each year if you see them on the shelf.
As for this Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2023 Release, if you see it on the shelf for MSRP I would still recommend purchasing a bottle for it’s rarity and it does have some nice flavors.
But in comparison to other special release bottles in this same price range like Jack Daniel’s 12 Year, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, and Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend I think this bottle is a bit pricey.
I’m certainly glad I was able to try this one and judge it for myself.
As mentioned before, I do enjoy Maker’s Mark whisky a lot and was really looking forward to this bottle.
I’m excited that Maker’s Mark is experimenting with some special releases and I’ll be keeping an eye out on what they release next year on both the Wood Finishing Series and likely another Cellar Aged release.
Let Us Know What You Think
I hope you enjoyed this tasting experience with me.
If you decide to give this bottle a shot, please let me know on social media via Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Thanks for reading and cheers!
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