| Whiskey | Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged (2025 Release) |
| Distillery | Maker’s Mark Distillery |
| Region | Loretto, Kentucky |
| Type | Bourbon |
| Mash Bill |
70% Corn, 16% Soft Winter Wheat, and 14% Malted Barley |
| Proof / ABV | 112.9 Proof / 56.45% ABV |
| Aging |
Blend of three existing Maker’s Mark bourbons
|
| Filtration | Non-Chill Filtered |
| MSRP | $175 |
| Release Year | 2025 |
Maker's Mark Cellar Aged Tasting Notes
Appearance: Dark Red Amber
Nose: Baked apple pie, brown sugar, cinnamon, toasted oak, vanilla, light fruits, apple, apricot, baking spice, cereal grain, toffee
Palate: Rich caramel, bold vanilla, toasted and charred oak, oaky tannic spice, chocolate, baking spice, citrus, light fruits, tobacco, earthy, leather, cinnamon roll pastry, powdered sugar
Finish: Big rich finish full of oaky tannic spice and brown sugar sweetness – lasts quite a long time
Is Maker's Mark Cellar Aged an Approachable Whiskey?
Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged is a step up from your traditional Maker’s Mark in terms of oak and aging.
It is very clear that this cellar aged release has much more of an oak presence which adds to the depth of flavor in this pour compared to your more traditional Maker’s Mark wheated bourbons.
Along with that comes a bit more oaky tannic spice and it packs a bit more of a punch that the lower proof, less aged Maker’s Mark bottles.
This is a whiskey for more experienced bourbon drinkers who are used to a little more spice on their bourbon, despite the wheated profile generally being a bit more on the sweet side.
Is Maker's Mark Cellar Aged Complex?
Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged is more complex than your standard Maker’s Mark wheated bourbon and offers quite a bit more depth of flavor.
It starts with the nose still offering a nice brown sugar, vanilla, and caramel sweetness layered with light fruits and almost a cinnamon roll or baked apple pie note.
It’s quite enjoyable on the nose.
On the palate, you get a lot more of the oak and aging shining through.
The additional years in the barrel have added a rich oak and tannic spice to this pour which is quite enjoyable.
However, it does take away from the usual sweetness that you’ll usually find in a Maker’s Mark wheated bourbon and steers it in a different direction.
In place of the sweetness, you’ll find this pour offers an incredible finish that starts drying out your mouth the moment the whiskey hits your palate.
The finish is rich and bold and offers a finish I have not experienced on any other Maker’s Mark bottle which is quite nice.
If you are a fan of oak, a little bit of spice, and a bold finish you’ll surely enjoy this bottle.
What are Maker's Mark Cellar Aged’s strongest attributes/flavors?
Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged’s strongest attribute is the oak forward flavor profile which is layered on top of usually sweet wheated bourbon mash bill.
You’ll find this throughout the entire taste starting with a rich oaky tannic spice upfront and a rich, bold tannic finish that leaves your mouth watering for another sip for well over a minute.
Is Maker's Mark Cellar Aged a go-to whiskey?
This 2025 release of Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged is a limited-release bottle so it tends to be pretty hard to find, especially here in Pennsylvania.
While I could easily drink this bottle pretty quickly, it is one that I will save for special occasions to share with friends who appreciate a well-aged bourbon.
If I were going to drink a Maker’s Mark as a go-to whiskey I would definitely go with the Maker’s Mark BEP (limited release) or the Maker’s Mark 46 (always on the shelf).
Is Maker's Mark Cellar Aged priced accurately to its quality?
This 2025 release of Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged has an MSRP price of $175.
To be honest, I think that price is quite a bit high for what the bottle offers.
I understand that the additional aging warrants a price increase over their other bottles, but this Cellar Aged is $130 more expensive than the Maker’s Mark 46 and is even $100 more than their Maker’s Mark Wood-Finished Series.
So while I do enjoy this pour, I don’t think it warrants the MSRP price.
Maker’s Mark raised their prices from $150 to $175 after the 2023 Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged bottle and I am curious to see what the result has been on their sales.
From what I can see, this bottle sells out immediately upon release so it seems to fly off the shelves which means their price point is fine.
But if I were gauging this bottle by my own price scale, I would think a fair price on it would be right around the $125 price range.
You have the Jack Daniel’s 14 Year ($150), Booker’s The Reserves 2025 release ($130), Elijah Craig Barrel Proof ($75), and even another wheated bourbon with the Larceny Barrel Proof ($75) all at a lower price point than this bottle.
I would have to compare each of these bottles side-by-side, but I’m pretty sure the cost to flavor ratio is a little more balanced with other options.
I’ll be curious to see where Maker’s Mark settles its price points on this one because I think their Wood Finished Series bottles are excellently priced at the $75-$99 price range.
Granted, they aren’t nearly as oak-forward, but the sweet wheat flavor notes of Maker’s Mark are more what I prefer from their distillery and the Wood Finished series delivers those quite nicely.
Conclusion for Maker's Mark Cellar Aged
Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged is a great bottle of whiskey, but it’s hard for me to get past the $175 price tag.
I don’t mind them charging more for their efforts, it’s just not a bottle I’ll likely be buying backups for on their release.
Despite the issue with pricing, I’m a huge fan of Maker’s Mark distillery and I buy almost every bottle they release.
I just think that the Maker’s Mark French Oak 46 and their Maker’s Mark Wood Finished Series are a steal and I’d rather get multiples of those bottles for the price of just one Cellar Aged.
So overall, if you’re looking for a high-end product from Maker’s Mark and have the money to spend, this bottle is an solid expression of their Maker’s Mark wheated mash bill being aged in oak for 11-14 years.
The oak’s influence most definitely shapes the character of this whiskey and offers a beautiful finish while also adding a nice layer of flavor on top of their already delicious wheated mash bill.
It’s a delicious whiskey, but so are all of the other more affordable bottles from Maker’s Mark.
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