Maker's Mark Cellar Aged Bourbon Review

Steve Coomes -

BOTTLE DETAILS

STEVE'S NOTES

SHARE WITH: Maker’s Mark fans who are familiar with all the brand’s releases. They’ll really get a kick out of it. Also share with fans of complex, rich and robust whiskeys. This is large and in charge without the “You might regret this” proof point.

WORTH THE PRICE: Yes. When you examine fair market value for an 11-year whiskey as good as this, $150 isn’t out of line. We all know of bottles much higher with half the age and mountains more hype that fetch $200 and up—and likely aren’t worth it. Not only is this a cool bottle since it’s Maker’s oldest release, it’s also its longest experiment conducted in its earthen Cellar carved into the side of a limestone hill. Who else in the U.S. is doing that? Plus, Maker’s has earned the right to charge large. It’s had solid and desirable products for 64 years now.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bar if that’s all you can get. At least you’ll know whether to hunt for the bottle. (Sadly, I bet a pour will cost about a third the price of the bottle’s MSRP.)

OVERALL: I got to taste this with a press group in Maker’s chilly 51 F Cellar, and at that temp, a whiskey with this much body can’t help but register viscous and velvety. It’s still rich and soft at room temperature, but if you want the real thrill, chill in the fridge. You’ll be glad you did.

Years ago, when I first tasted Maker’s Cask Strength, a friend sipping alongside me said, “This is how Maker’s was meant to be.” It was powerful and deeply flavorful, attributes forever blunted in its 90-proof flagship. Cellar Aged blows well past Maker’s Cask Strength, which says a lot. This mingling of 12-year barrels (87%) and 11-year barrels (13%) is as deep and dark as a Russian novel, so set aside an appropriate amount of time to deal with it.

I appreciate Maker’s brand notes (below) for their brevity, but they don’t do this liquid justice. Deep flavors such as aged maple and sorghum syrups are laced with notes of dark-fired tobacco and high-cacao chocolate. A punch of long-cooked cherry and flamed-citrus notes grabs your attention before being ushered out in waves of dark caramel and vanilla bean. The finish is warm and long, just lightly oaked and barely dry. Had this whiskey spent 11 years in an ambient temp Maker’s rickhouse and bottled at this proof, it would have been an acrid pour.

If you can find this bottle for a reasonable price, get it. If you're motivated spend unreasonably on stuff like this, you’re bound to find one. You’ll want to pour this bottle for friends who deserve a little spoiling. And this one will spoil any Maker’s fan for good.

BRAND NOTES

Crafted from a blend of 11- and 12-year-old bourbons and aged for its final five to six years in our first-of-its-kind, LEED Certified limestone cellar. Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged explores the boundaries of what it means to “age to taste, not time.” The result is an exclusive, limited-release bourbon that’s richer, more complex, yet still distinctly Maker’s Mark.

Nose: Dark stone fruit, caramelized sugar, toasted oak

Taste: Balanced with big oak, dark vanilla and fruit

Finish: Velvety texture, long and complex with caramelized barrel note and baking spices.

Disclaimer: Maker's Mark provided Bourbon & Banter with a sample of their product for this review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.