Maker's Mark The Stewards Release 2026 - 750ml

Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series The Stewards Release is produced at the Maker's Mark Distillery at Star Hill Farm in Loretto, Kentucky, where founders Margie and Bill Samuels, Sr. established the distillery in 1953 around a wheated bourbon mashbill in which soft red winter wheat replaces rye as the secondary grain — a foundational decision that has defined the house's signature softness and sweetness across more than seven decades of production. The Stewards Release is the third installment in the second Wood Finishing Series, a five-year chapter set to conclude in 2028 and dedicated to the people behind the bourbon. This edition honors the distillery's operations teams — the stewards who oversee every step of the process from first fermentation to final bottling — whose attention to detail and meticulous care the distillery credits with ensuring consistency and excellence across each release.

The Wood Finishing Series technique begins with fully matured Maker's Mark at cask strength, drawn from barrels that have completed their primary aging in new charred American white oak. Ten virgin toasted American oak staves are then inserted directly into each barrel for a secondary finishing period, where the fresh, uncharred wood introduces a concentrated pulse of new wood sugars, tannins, and aromatic compounds into the already-developed spirit. This stave-finishing method amplifies characteristics inherent to the Maker's Mark base bourbon — its wheat-driven sweetness, fruit character, and vanilla — rather than redirecting its profile. The Stewards Release is bottled at cask strength without chill filtration, distributed across two batches ranging from 56.65% to 59.4% ABV, with individual bottles reflecting the specific barrel's proof at time of bottling.

The nose is bright and notably fruit-forward relative to previous Wood Finishing Series releases, opening with cherry, raspberry, and cherry pie alongside French vanilla, toasted oak, and a background of honeysuckle. The palate opens with sweet oak and moves through cinnamon, stewed berry, honey, toasted marshmallow, and candied ginger — the virgin stave's contribution asserting itself clearly while the wheat mashbill keeps the overall profile rounded and approachable at proof. The finish is long and warming, with an initial tannic grip from the oak that quickly gives way to cherry, baking spice, barrel char, and a maple-tinged sweetness that lingers cleanly. The most fruit-driven release in the current series, and the midpoint of a five-year journey worth following to its conclusion.