In my latest piece for Food & Dining Magazine, I dive into the many misconceptions about the beloved Mint Julep, and I implore my readers to respect the traditional Derbytime cocktail. They’re actually quite tasty when made correctly — which means not in bulk at Churchill Downs during the Derby.
Next time you’re at your favorite cocktail bar, ask them if they make a mean Mint Julep. If they say yes, give it a try. And if they say no, tell them goodbye.
Here’s an excerpt from my article, and the full piece can be read here.
“The Mint Julep, made of four simple ingredients (bourbon, sugar, ice and mint), should be as much of a Southern staple as sweet tea and backhanded compliments. There are so many ways to dress it up — add blackberries, powdered sugar or chocolate bitters, try brown sugar or even mix in molasses — but you mean girls and gents won’t give it a chance after experiencing dreadful versions of the cocktail in Derbies past. Yes, I agree Mint Juleps served at Churchill Downs weren’t great for many years, but now they’re better. The braces are off, the awkwardness of blended whiskey and sugar water is long gone, and it’s now in the capable hands of Old Forester.
So won’t you let the Mint Julep sit at your lunch table?
…
Did you know that because of the Mint Julep, we now have sturdy straws? In 1888, Civil War vet Marvin C. Stone was having a tough damn time trying to drink a Mint Julep through a grass straw, as they did back in the day, so he fashioned one out of thick paper that would stand up against the bourbon and ice. Isn’t that nice? The cocktail also gets a shout-out in several renowned novels from “Gone With the Wind” to “The Great Gatsby,” and The Clovers and Ray Charles sang about it all the way to the top of the charts with “One Mint Julep” in 1952 and 1961 respectively.“
—By Sara Havens, Food & Dining Magazine, Spring 2024
If after all of this you’re still not a fan, then just go back to your vodka soda and cauliflower pizza.
Add your personalized label to a bottle of Maker’s Mark. | Courtesy
It’s one thing to get a bottle of great bourbon as a gift, but it’s a whole new ballgame if that bottle has your frickin’ name on it! Talk about scoring bourbon-soaked brownie points.
In honor of Women’s History Month, Maker’s Mark is offering free, personalized labels for anyone who wants to give a shout-out to a badass bourbon-drinking lady in their life. The limited-edition label, which is designed by renowned artist Gayle Kabaker, will feature your person’s name on it and can be put on a standard bottle of Maker’s Mark.
The initiative also supports Vital Voices, a nonprofit that invests in female leaders.
“Vital Voices is thrilled to join Maker’s Mark in this collaboration to amplify the power of women,” said Alyse Nelson, president and CEO of Vital Voices, in a news release. “We deeply appreciate their support in our mission to advance women leaders and our world.”
The artist of the label, Gayle Kabaker, is a partner of Vital Voices and often creates pieces that showcase women who use their power to empower others. Her label design depicts her interpretation of a spirited woman in acrylic gouache, inspired by the wildflowers of Kentucky and the colors of the Maker’s Mark palette — including that famous red wax.
“As a brand co-founded by my grandmother Margie Samuels more than 70 years ago, Maker’s Mark continues to be guided and grown by incredible women defining what’s next in the industry,” said Rob Samuels, managing director of Maker’s Mark and 8th generation whisky maker, in the release. “We are privileged to continue our commitment to women making an impact in their communities and support the meaningful causes that drive Vital Voices.”
Make Your Label Now!
So go make your own personalized label, and if the badass bourbon-drinking lady in your life is yourself, then so be it! It feels accomplished to have a bourbon bottle with your name on it, trust me!
Sure, you can coup us up for two months while Old Man Winter hides the sun and takes away all the fun, but as soon as the calendar flips from February to March, you better believe we Louisvillians are ready to bum rush the outdoors. And the first sign that spring is near is the beloved Tailspin Ale Fest, which draws thousands of thirsty people to Bowman Field each year to celebrate beer, friendship, beer and aviation.
This year’s Tailspin, which is now in its 11th year, will be held Saturday, March 2, from 3-7 p.m. VIP tickets are already sold out, but there are still some GA tickets available. (But be sure to get them ASAP, because this event will sell out.)
What’s New?
So what’s new this year? Well, of course there is more beer than ever, with over 250 American craft beers served by the sample. IPAs, pale ales, sours, stouts, ciders — you name it, it’s there. And for those who like a stiffer pour, Green River Distilling will be on hand again offering up samples of bourbon — but more on that later.
This year there will also be VIP bathrooms courtesy of Tom Drexler, and you can actually purchase a special potty pass on the Tailspin website for $30. One of the only downsides of a big beer festival like this one here is encountering long lines at the Port-o-Pots, so this pass could be a great way to circumvent that bladder ache. The pass will allow you access to 17 indoor restrooms that are located in a private area.
Now, if you’re bougie and want your own private bathroom, that can happen as well for a fee of $200. And I will be your friend for the day, too!
Who’s ready for some beer? | Courtesy
While you’re not drinking beer, you can hit up local food trucks, dance funny at the silent disco, sing karaoke, smoke cigars and/or listen to the cool tunes of Tony & The Tan Lines.
And, as always, a portion of the proceeds benefits a local charity. This year the funds are going to Pints for Parkinson’s | TKO. There will also be a live boxing demonstration that highlights “the importance of exercise and movement in combating the challenges of Parkinson’s disease,” according to the news release. “The demonstration pays tribute to Louisville’s own legend, Muhammad Ali, whose battle with the incurable disease underscored the significant role that boxing and commitment to life played in extending his earthly existence beyond expectations.”
What About That Bourbon?
A Green River Single Barrel will be available at Tailspin. | Courtesy
Let’s get back to the bourbon. Tailspin has teamed up with Green River for a special single barrel pick that will be for sale starting Feb. 29 at the Evergreen Liquors in NuLu (4-7 p.m.).
Any bottles left after this event and another one at Against the Grain will be sold at Tailspin. All I know is the bourbon is 119 proof, so you better believe I’ll be lining up for a sample!
Several of the breweries that have bourbon barrel-aged brews at the festival were given freshly dumped Green River barrels, so it’s like a tasty circle of life between beer, bourbon and my belly.
So let’s just all survive the next few weeks — we got the Super Bowl and the upcoming Bourbon Classic (Feb. 23-24) — and I’ll see your fine faces at Tailspin!
Be my Valentine, Woodford Double Double. | Courtesy
Last Tuesday, the anticipated January email hit my inbox like a ton of bricks. It’s time to take a trek to the Woodford Reserve Distillery for the annual release of Double Double Oaked, also known as heaven in a bottle!
So I did what any self-employed schlep working from home would do. I threw on clean pants, grabbed the dog and hit the road to Versailles. I was in line by 9:30 a.m. and out by 10, and I even got to sample this year’s 90.4-proof Double Double and can attest to its out-of-this-world taste.
I’ve always been a fan of Double Double Oaked, if you couldn’t tell. To me, it’s like bourbon dessert, and I nurse every drop in the 375-ml bottle, trying to make it last as long as I can.
This year, if you’re lucky enough to live in these four states plus Washington, D.C., you’ll be able to snag a bottle for yourself without making a pilgrimage to the distillery:
Kentucky
Nebraska
New Hampshire
North Dakota
Washington, D.C.
For the first time ever, Woodford Reserve is offering up a bottle of Double Double Oaked as a Valentine’s Day promotion through its website. For $152.99, you’ll get a bottle of the new Double Double Oaked, a bottle of regular Woodford Double Oaked and a box of fancy Compartes chocolates, which they just debuted last month. All of this will be shipped to your door — if you live in one of the areas mentioned above, of course.
“This is the most indulgent gift for whiskey lovers who want to treat their partners and friends — or themselves — to the ultimate Valentine’s gift,” said Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall in a news release.
Those chocolates are meant to pair with the bourbon, so you’ll have a great time eating and drinking once you get the goodies — whether you’re single or hitched! At least if you’re single, you don’t have to share.
You’ll be able to snag your Valentine Double Double package on Feb. 1 starting at 9 a.m. Eastern. So set an alarm and get your credit card ready to go! Here’s the link you’ll need: CLICK HERE.
It’s been more than five years since Old Forester added to its popular Whiskey Row Series — expressions that highlight important moments in the brand’s 153-year history — but it’s well worth the wait for this latest one: 1924, a 10-year-old, 100-proof bourbon that features a new mash bill.
If you’re a history buff, you might be scratching your head at this point. Wasn’t 1924 smack dab in the middle of Prohibition? What could possibly be happening at Old Forester and Brown-Forman during this year for them to highlight 1924?
Master Distiller Chris Morris and Master Taster Melissa Rift discuss Old Forester 1924. | Photo by Sara Havens
Well, the answer to that is also why there’s a unique mash bill and why it’s age stated.
As Master Distiller Emeritus Chris Morris explained yesterday to a small media group, Prohibition is exactly why this bottle is truly one-of-a-kind. Obviously during those sad 10 years in history when alcohol was forbidden, it forced all distilleries around the country to shut their doors.
Well, all but a handful that were allowed to continue distilling for “medicinal” purposes.
Old Forester/Brown-Forman was one of those lucky few that kept things running. And they also acquired aging bourbon barrels from other nearby distilleries to store in one location. In 1924, that location was completed near where the Brown-Forman HQ is located today in west Louisville.
So basically, they had lots of bourbon to release (to pharmacies) that had varying mash bills, ages, etc. Some they blended with their own and released it under the Old Forester label, and others they maintained brand trademark rules and released it under various now-defunct distillery names.
All of the distilleries that were permitted to distill for medicinal purposes had to acquire other barrels, so this was just the standard operation of the day, per governmental regulations.
How does it taste?
But enough with history, let’s get to the bourbon! While the traditional Old Forester mash bill is 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malted barley, the new 1924 mash bill adds more corn and takes out some rye at 79% corn, 11% rye and 10% malted barley. This makes for a sweeter taste and much less spice than the usual.
It’s definitely not your typical Old Forester, and the extra age of 10 years in the barrel adds even more flavor to an excellent pour. There are a lot of baking notes in this one: think brown sugar, vanilla, oak and graham cracker. There’s also a nice milk chocolate note that makes for a nice finish. And the more I sipped, I even got a subtle coffee flavor in the mix.
1924 joins four others in the Whiskey Row Series.
I’m not sure I like it better than 1910 — the Whiskey Row Series expression that is double oaked — but that’s just my own preference for the sweeter side of bourbon. I love that they added the 10-year age statement to this one, and I think this bottle will be coveted and clamored after by many. It’s a great example of the many nuances and wonderful flavors that come from a well-aged Kentucky bourbon.
Old Forester 1924 will be available in all 50 states for a suggested retail price of $115.
Have you ever used a whiskey thief? | Photo by Sara Havens
With so many distilleries and satellite tasting rooms opening in Kentucky these days, the focus is now about “How can we be different?” The average bourbon tourist is becoming more knowledgeable, and this pushes distilleries to switch gears from the 51%-corn basics to more experiential, exclusive opportunities.
Case in point: Starting Saturday, Dec. 9, the guys behind Louisville’s Pursuit Spirits, Kenny Coleman and Ryan Cecil, are offering bourbon fanatics two unique behind-the-scenes experiences at their newly opened warehouse in the Clifton neighborhood.
The first one, called “The Whole Shebang: Tasting + Barrel Pick + Fill Your Own,” is a 90-minute choose-your-own-adventure excursion where you literally sample through eight batched bourbons and ryes, pick which one you like best, and then fill an empty bottle using your own whiskey thief. You then have to cork it, seal it and even add on the label and fancy “barrel select” sticker.
Pursuit Spirits co-owner Ryan Cecil demonstrates how to thief a barrel. | Photo by Sara Havens
The second option is a general “Pursuit United Breakdown,” which is a 45-minute deep dive into Pursuit’s award-winning small-batch bourbons and ryes. You’ll hear the story on how the brand got started and get to sample some of their best products.
The first experience is $150 per person and includes the bottle of bourbon or rye that you choose. And the second is $35.
The warehouse also is home to a small gift shop where you can purchase bottles and branded merchandise.
Sip It, Thieve It, Cap It
I was invited to check out one of the first run-throughs of “The Whole Shebang” experience, and I can say without a doubt that it’s a fun time and gives you that feeling that you’re running amok at a distillery with only a whiskey thief in hand.
Just tasting through eight bourbons and whiskeys is a great way to spend an afternoon. But getting to then thieve out your own whiskey of choice and add the cap and stickers to the bottle are just bonus points. I particularly enjoyed the air-compressor capping machine.
I ended up picking sample No. 2, which was a blend of bourbons that was then put back into a used Kentucky bourbon barrel to age a little longer. Every sample I tried was delicious and tasty in its own way, but I ultimately chose No. 2 because of the overt caramel, cherry and chocolate notes I detected.
Obviously the barrels and batches will change throughout the program, and Coleman even said they might introduce double baked options in the future.
The Tea on Pursuit
Pursuit Spirits also is currently working on a tasting room and visitor center in downtown Louisville, right next to the new Bardstown Bourbon Company storefront on Main Street. They guys say that will likely be completed by this time next year, and that some of these experiences will be moved to that location.
If you’re unfamiliar with the brand, here’s the quick backstory. It was founded in 2018 by the aforementioned duo who also run the successful Bourbon Pursuit podcast. They have a handful of products on store shelves including a bourbon, rye and double oaked expressions.
Pursuit Spirits sells both bourbon and rye whiskey. | Photo by Sara Havens
Once their Main Street operation opens, you’ll definitely be hearing more about them. But for now, you can get to know them better by going behind the scenes inside their Louisville warehouse. Trust me, this isn’t just another bourbon tour.
The Pursuit Spirits experiences are available Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays with limited tickets available per tour. The warehouse is located at 1700 Mellwood Ave. To book an experience, visit the website and hit the “Visit Us” button.
Here are a few more photos from my experience:
Pursuit Spirits is located at 1700 Mellwood Ave. | Photo by Sara HavensThe barrels are lined up in order of tasting. | Photo by Sara HavensPursuit Spirits co-founder Kenny Coleman talks about the process. | Photo by Sara HavensYou get to sample eight whiskeys! | Photo by Sara HavensThe Whole Shebang experience is 90 minutes. | Photo by Sara HavensReady for the cap! | Photo by Sara Havens
One of the biggest releases of the fall bourbon season (besides a brand that rhymes with “happy”) is Brown-Forman‘s King of Kentucky. The super-premium brand had a re-launch in 2018, making this the sixth release of the historic label that dates back to 1881.
The 2023 King of Kentucky will be 16 years old and will range in proof from 125 to 135.
“This year’s release of 51 barrels came from one production date — July 19, 2007,” said Master Distiller Chris Morris in a news release. “This showcases what a difference each individual has at this extreme age on the color, flavor and aroma of this wonderful whiskey.”
There will only be 3,800 bottles available. The good news is most of these will remain in Kentucky, but you also might get lucky in Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, North Carolina, New York, Ohio and Tennessee.
The King has arrived.
The suggested retail price is $299.99 if you can find it on a shelf, but the secondary rate for these big daddies is about five times that amount.
Last year, the company celebrated the fifth anniversary of the King of Kentucky with two releases: an 18-year-old and 15-year-old. So it appears we’re now back to a one-age release with this one.
I was fortunate to receive a media sample of the new King, and I can verify that it is indeed quite delicious, rich and tasty and worth every penny of the $300. There’s a lot of dark chocolate and baked cherries in this one, followed by a hint of that Brown-Forman banana and vintage funk.
It also doesn’t seem as hot as previous years, and my sample was 125.8 proof. It sugar coats my lips and warms my throat, but it’s not an uncomfortable heat at all.
Say hello to Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon and Cask Strength Rye. | Courtesy
The thirsty whiskey angels are finally sharing some of their coveted stock. Angel’s Envy is gearing up for not one but TWO big releases this season, and one is a brand new product for the 12-year-old company.
On Dec. 1, Angel’s Envy will release its annual Cask Strength Bourbon PLUS its first-ever Cask Strength Rye Whiskey. Both will be in fancy new bottles and will commemorate Master Distiller Owen Martin’s first big releases of his career at the downtown Louisville distillery. Martin joined Angel’s Envy last fall after working for six years at Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey and, before that, studying the craft of whiskey making in Scotland.
Angel’s Envy Master Distiller Owen Martin | Photo by Sara Havens
“It was thrilling to kick off my journey with the best-in-class team at the distillery on the 12th annual Cask Strength Bourbon and the first-ever limited-edition Cask Strength Rye Whiskey,” Martin said in a news release.
“With my deep background in maturing, blending and finishing whiskey, I’ve been able to share a unique perspective on the Cask Strength program and am looking forward to this next chapter with the brand.”
A few weeks back, a group of local media, including yours truly, met up with Martin to taste the two new products and also hear about the process of bringing these bottles to the market.
His enthusiasm for the whiskey was endearing, and his goal is to continue elevating the brand and its mastery over the finishing process. Instead of rushing to get something out, Martin instead chose to wait until the whiskey was ready.
Cask Strength Rye
If you’re a fan of the regular Angel’s Envy Rye Finished in Caribbean Rum Casks, well, this new release tastes nothing like that. In fact, it’s its own distinct product and is definitely not finished in rum casks this time around.
Bottled at 114.4 proof, the release is a blend of rye whiskeys finished in used sauternes and toasted oak barrels. Sauternes is a dessert wine from France.
This is actually the 10th anniversary of Angel’s Envy Rye, so the company wanted to recognize that milestone with its own cask strength iteration. Again, this tastes very different than that standard AE Rye, so keep that in mind. But in my opinion, it’s a much better whiskey and really showcases great, mature rye whiskey and the Angel’s Envy spin on finishing.
The flavor jumps with sweet fruit notes like pear and apple, followed by a sprinkle of that rye black pepper spice. A drizzle of caramel on top seals the deal for my taste buds, and the finish is long, spicy and rich. The term “pimp juice” keeps coming to mind, and I have no idea why, but it seems fitting here. You won’t be disappointed. Trust me.
There are only 5,500 bottles available, so be ready to vigorously scour your local liquor stores. It’ll retail for a suggested $269.99.
Cask Strength Bourbon
Not to be overshadowed by the rye, Angel’s Envy is also releasing the 12th iteration of its Cask Strength Bourbon series.
Martin said the team goes through the rick houses and marks the “very special” barrels each year, and it’s up to him to blend them together for this annual award-winning product.
This year’s release contains some of the first whiskey distilled at the distillery and leans more port-heavy than previous batches. For Martin, blending and marrying the barrels is the most important part of the process.
And you can tell he’s a master of the craft, because the balance of flavors in this release is phenomenal. At 118.2 proof, there is surprisingly no sting like a bee, but rather the creamy, sweet notes float like a butterfly over my tastebuds.
I definitely get the port on the finish, but on first sip it’s sugary notes of marshmallow and caramel, with baking spices and hints of oak and tobacco toward the back of my tongue. I thought the 10th anniversary Cask Strength Bourbon was going to be hard to beat, but this one gives it a run for its money.
This release will retail for $229.99, and there will definitely be more bottles of this than the rye — 22,656 to be exact. Still, that has to be split throughout all 50 states, so it’ll still be somewhat hard to find.
According to the news release, both of these bottles will go on sale at the distillery starting Dec. 1, or you might get lucky and find them at your local liquor stores. The rye will only be sold in Kentucky, New York, Florida, California, Texas, Illinois, Ohio and Tennessee.
Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt Whiskey will be a permanent expression. | Courtesy
Jack Daniel’s is releasing the brand’s first-ever single malt whiskey (apart from the special single-barrel teaser from last year), and it’s a damn fine whiskey if I do say so myself. But unfortunately, you’ll only find it at the moment in select duty-free airport stores across the world.
I can hear the naysayers now. Why is Jack Daniel’s trying to make scotch? Why don’t they just stay in their lane? And to this I’d say, “Why not?” As Master Distiller Chris Fletcher told me yesterday during a media tasting, the goal wasn’t to make scotch but rather to create an interesting Tennessee twist on the spirit for the growing American single malt category.
“This is us putting our best foot forward in trying single malt,” he said. “It’s a different take on what people can experience with a single malt whiskey — in the style of Jack Daniel’s.”
And true to that style, they ran the distillate through 10 feet of charcoal mellowing vats before it entered the barrel, just like they do for most of their JD whiskeys.
Fletcher said they’ve been experimenting with a single malt expression since 2012 and learned many things in the process. Notably, a mash bill of 100% malt is perhaps the most difficult grain to cook and distill with — even trickier than the sticky rye.
Sherry casks are about 2.5 times bigger than whiskey barrels. | Courtesy of The Barrel Store
They also realized fairly early on in the process that they’d need to use a different kind of malted barley from the bulk distillers barley they use for their flagship whiskey.
After tweaking a few things along the way, they finally put this single malt distillate into new charred and toasted barrels in 2015, and it aged gracefully in Lynchburg until about 2020.
While Jack’s process of making single-malt whiskey is vastly different than how it’s made in Scotland and Ireland, the next step is a common one: the finishing barrel.
In 2020, they put the whiskey into used Oloroso Sherry casks (also called butts, heehee) from Spain, where it sat another three years mingling with the leftover fortified wine that had been soaked up in the butt.
The result is this amazing and very flavorful and rich Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt Whiskey, which will be a permanent expression for the company. The color is a striking dark amber, and the whiskey wafts with savory notes of milk chocolate, raisin, plumb and oak. Upon first sip, I get more of those dark fruits like raisin and plumb, and Fletcher noted that the best description he could think of was a dried milk chocolate-covered cherry.
The whiskey is also quite viscous and coats your tongue with delightful memories of decadent desserts. I want to compare it to Woodford Double Oak for this very reason — it’s definitely an after-dinner sipper with its bursts of chocolate, caramel and baked cherries.
My only complaint is that it’s only being sold at airports. Guess I need to book a vacation.
Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt is bottled at 90 proof and retails for $99.99 (for a 1-liter bottle).
The new Cellar Aged Maker’s Mark will be released in September. | Courtesy
For years — 70 to be exact — Maker’s Mark has stayed true to the taste vision set forth by founders Bill Samuels Sr. and Margie Samuels. The mash bill churned out day after day at the distillery is as much part of the brand’s identity as the red wax that drips from every bottle: 70% corn, 16% soft red winter wheat, 14% malted barley.
That’s why you’ve never seen a rye version of Maker’s Mark, a Maker’s Mark finished in port barrels, or an ultra-aged 20-year-old Maker’s Mark — because those would go against what the founders set out to create in 1953.
(In 2010, the company did launch Maker’s 46, which introduced wood finishing staves to the process — but more on that in a bit.)
Now, with some forward-thinking innovations from the talented team behind the brand — including Beth Buckner, senior manager of innovation & blending, and Blake Layfield, senior director & head of innovation, blending and quality — Maker’s Mark will finally release an older bourbon in September called Cellar Aged.
And fans are going wild (myself included), because it’s also being bottled at a whopping 115.7 proof!
Cellar Aged is a blend of 12-year-old bourbon (87%) and 11-year-old bourbon (13%) that still fits inside the parameters of the Maker’s Mark taste vision. How is that, you ask? Well, the team took fully mature Maker’s Mark barrels (typically around 6 years old) that had aged in its standard rick houses in Loretto, Ky., and rehoused them inside the limestone whiskey cellar that was constructed onsite in 2016 for the Maker’s 46 product.
The temperature inside this bourbon bat cave, as I call it, is a constant 50 degrees, so the barrels were now free from the extreme ups and downs of the Kentucky weather. In other words, they could just chill out for another five to six years — much like a scotch does in the moderate temperatures of Scotland.
The limestone cellar was added to Maker’s Mark in 2016. | Courtesy
This mellow environment helps round out the flavor and adds more depth and richness to the taste, but it doesn’t allow for those sometimes sharp bitter and tannic notes from the oak to permeate, which is sometimes common in bourbons aged over 10+ years.
Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged will be released in mid-September with an MSRP of $150. It’ll be a limited annual release, and the ages and batches will likely differ from year to year.
Tasting with the Team
Last week, a small group of local media descended upon Maker’s Mark to catch up with Buckner and Layfield — and of course be one of the first to try the new release. We were taken around to see all the new things at the distillery — including bountiful herb and vegetable gardens, new artwork both inside and outside, a renovated visitor center complete with a stunning cocktail bar, and even a new chef at Star Hill Provisions.
This is the rick house where we climbed up to the top floor. | Photo by Sara Havens
While you might see those topics come up in later posts here, I’ll focus on what we learned about the Cellar Aged release for now.
Buckner explained that although bourbon fans have been clamoring for a well-aged Maker’s Mark for some time, until they built the limestone cellar, it just wouldn’t have worked. Why? Well, her and Layfield showed us firsthand as they marched us up seven floors inside one of their standard aging warehouses.
The temperature that morning was pretty mild for August — in the upper 70s — but inside the rick house, it increased by at least 3 degrees every floor we climbed. These rick houses stay hot, hot, hot in the summer and chilly in the winter, pushing that distillate in and out of the barrel year after year. And so Maker’s believes, by about 6 years, the bourbon has finished its aging cycle, according to that important taste profile first developed by the Samuels.
Blake Layfield and Beth Buckner of Maker’s Mark | Photo by Sara Havens
Sure, they could leave a barrel for 12 years or more inside a rick house and bottle it up to please their fans, but it would not fit within the perimeters of that taste vision. And that’s what matters most to them. Much respect for staying the course.
After traipsing up and down stairs and dealing with the incoming humidity, we were whisked into the cool, calm, dark cellar, where we finally got to try the new bourbon.
And in an effort to further drive home what continued aging in the cellar can do versus what the temperature extremes of a rick house can do, we tried the Cellar Aged release next to a sample pulled from a 12-year-old barrel from a rick house.
I will say that the Cellar Aged sample was definitely the favorite — imagine Maker’s Mark Cask Strength with even more baked apple, caramel and vanilla notes. It is reminiscent of Weller Antique — with those deep bursts of chocolate and fig, and it’s a pour I could sip on all night long no matter what season it is.
But the 12-year-old sample, I admit, wasn’t awful. It certainly had that vintage taste funk, like maybe it was pulled from Grandma’s attic, but I would still drink it if I had a bottle of it. At the end of the day, however, I realized that the flavors in that 12-year sample were so far away from the original Maker’s Mark, I can see why it wouldn’t gel with the founders’ taste vision.
A look inside the limestone cellar at Maker’s Mark | Courtesy
All in all, it was an educational and experiential visit to Maker’s Mark. I’ll always have a soft spot for the brand because it’s what first got me hooked into this crazy bourbon world. If you haven’t been for a visit in a while, it’s worth it to check out. There’s something new lurking around every corner.
