SAVE $50 Now Only $299
Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series: The Stewards Release
Regular price
$349.00
Wheated Kentucky Straight Bourbon | Maker's Mark Distillery
Overview
The Stewards Release is the third installment in Maker's Mark's second Wood Finishing Series, following The Heart Release (2024) and The Keepers Release (2025). It's a tribute to the distillery's operations teams, the people who guide every barrel from first fermentation through to final bottling, and it leans hard into Maker's Mark's signature stave-finishing approach.
Fully matured Maker's Mark cask strength bourbon is given a secondary finish using ten virgin toasted American oak staves dropped straight into the barrel. The result is the soft, wheated Maker's Mark profile pushed in a richer, more layered direction. Bottled at cask strength in two batches, it's properly built for drinkers who already know the brand and want to see it taken further.
Quick Facts
| Brand | Maker's Mark |
| Producer | Maker's Mark Distillery |
| Country / Region | USA – Kentucky |
| Style | Wheated Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Stave Finished |
| Mash Bill | 70% Corn, 16% Wheat, 14% Malted Barley |
| Finish | 10 virgin toasted American oak staves added to the barrel for secondary aging |
| ABV | 59.4% |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
| Release | 2026, Wood Finishing Series, Limited Release |
What Sets This Bottle Apart
- The third release in Maker's Mark's second Wood Finishing Series
- Cask strength wheated bourbon, finished with 10 virgin toasted oak staves
- Released in two cask strength batches at 109.6 and 113.3 proof
- A tribute to the operations teams who steward the bourbon barrel to bottle
- Properly limited release, not a permanent line addition
- Maker's signature soft, wheated profile pushed into richer territory
Provenance
Maker's Mark has been distilling in Loretto, Kentucky since 1953 and is one of the few major bourbon brands using a wheated mash bill rather than rye. That swap is what gives Maker's its signature soft, sweet character.
The Wood Finishing Series is where Maker's Mark plays with that base profile. Fully matured cask strength bourbon is given a secondary finish using a specific combination of toasted oak staves, each release built around a different stave recipe to push the flavour in a new direction. The Stewards Release is the third in the second cycle of that series, with the line set to wrap up in 2028.
Awards & Recognition
Part of Maker's Mark's flagship Wood Finishing Series, widely praised by the whiskey press
Recognised as one of the more interesting stave-finishing programs in modern bourbon
Released as a properly limited cask strength bottling
Who This Bottle Is For
- Maker's Mark fans wanting to see the brand at cask strength and pushed further
- Wheated bourbon drinkers after something with extra depth and oak
- Collectors keeping up with the Wood Finishing Series
- Bourbon drinkers ready to upgrade beyond the standard Maker's Mark range
- Anyone after a properly limited release with a clear point of difference
Tasting Notes
Nose
Cherry pie and vanilla bean up front, with raspberry, French vanilla, toasted oak, cinnamon, and a touch of honeysuckle in the background. Soft and inviting.
Palate
Honey, toasted marshmallow, and candied ginger lead, followed by sweet oak, cinnamon, and stewed raspberry. The wheat softness is still there, just dressed up with proper barrel-driven sweetness and spice.
Finish
Long and warming. Stone fruit and salted caramel carry through with cherry, baking spice, and a touch of barrel char on the close.
How to Enjoy
Best neat. At cask strength, give it a minute in the glass and let it settle. A few drops of water can soften the proof and bring more of the cherry and vanilla forward. For a bottle this limited, leave the cocktails alone and pour it straight.
Why We Curate It at Bourbon Brothers
The Stewards Release is one of those bottles that takes a brand you already know and shows you a different side of it. Cask strength wheated Maker's Mark, finished with ten toasted oak staves, two batches, properly limited. A solid step up for anyone who already drinks Maker's and wants to see what the Wood Finishing Series is really about. Hard to go wrong with this one.
Product Details
| Brand | Maker's Mark |
| Producer | Maker's Mark Distillery |
| Category | Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey |
| Style | Wheated Bourbon, Stave Finished, Cask Strength |
| Region | Loretto, Kentucky, USA |
| Mash Bill | 70% Corn, 16% Wheat, 14% Malted Barley |
| Finish | 10 virgin toasted American oak staves |
| ABV | 59.4% |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
| Release | 2026 Wood Finishing Series, Limited Release |
| Country | USA |
Regular price
$349.00
Wheated Kentucky Straight Bourbon | Maker's Mark Distillery
Overview
The Stewards Release is the third installment in Maker's Mark's second Wood Finishing Series, following The Heart Release (2024) and The Keepers Release (2025). It's a tribute to the distillery's operations teams, the people who guide every barrel from first fermentation through to final bottling, and it leans hard into Maker's Mark's signature stave-finishing approach.
Fully matured Maker's Mark cask strength bourbon is given a secondary finish using ten virgin toasted American oak staves dropped straight into the barrel. The result is the soft, wheated Maker's Mark profile pushed in a richer, more layered direction. Bottled at cask strength in two batches, it's properly built for drinkers who already know the brand and want to see it taken further.
Quick Facts
| Brand | Maker's Mark |
| Producer | Maker's Mark Distillery |
| Country / Region | USA – Kentucky |
| Style | Wheated Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Stave Finished |
| Mash Bill | 70% Corn, 16% Wheat, 14% Malted Barley |
| Finish | 10 virgin toasted American oak staves added to the barrel for secondary aging |
| ABV | 59.4% |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
| Release | 2026, Wood Finishing Series, Limited Release |
What Sets This Bottle Apart
- The third release in Maker's Mark's second Wood Finishing Series
- Cask strength wheated bourbon, finished with 10 virgin toasted oak staves
- Released in two cask strength batches at 109.6 and 113.3 proof
- A tribute to the operations teams who steward the bourbon barrel to bottle
- Properly limited release, not a permanent line addition
- Maker's signature soft, wheated profile pushed into richer territory
Provenance
Maker's Mark has been distilling in Loretto, Kentucky since 1953 and is one of the few major bourbon brands using a wheated mash bill rather than rye. That swap is what gives Maker's its signature soft, sweet character.
The Wood Finishing Series is where Maker's Mark plays with that base profile. Fully matured cask strength bourbon is given a secondary finish using a specific combination of toasted oak staves, each release built around a different stave recipe to push the flavour in a new direction. The Stewards Release is the third in the second cycle of that series, with the line set to wrap up in 2028.
Awards & Recognition
Part of Maker's Mark's flagship Wood Finishing Series, widely praised by the whiskey press
Recognised as one of the more interesting stave-finishing programs in modern bourbon
Released as a properly limited cask strength bottling
Who This Bottle Is For
- Maker's Mark fans wanting to see the brand at cask strength and pushed further
- Wheated bourbon drinkers after something with extra depth and oak
- Collectors keeping up with the Wood Finishing Series
- Bourbon drinkers ready to upgrade beyond the standard Maker's Mark range
- Anyone after a properly limited release with a clear point of difference
Tasting Notes
Nose
Cherry pie and vanilla bean up front, with raspberry, French vanilla, toasted oak, cinnamon, and a touch of honeysuckle in the background. Soft and inviting.
Palate
Honey, toasted marshmallow, and candied ginger lead, followed by sweet oak, cinnamon, and stewed raspberry. The wheat softness is still there, just dressed up with proper barrel-driven sweetness and spice.
Finish
Long and warming. Stone fruit and salted caramel carry through with cherry, baking spice, and a touch of barrel char on the close.
How to Enjoy
Best neat. At cask strength, give it a minute in the glass and let it settle. A few drops of water can soften the proof and bring more of the cherry and vanilla forward. For a bottle this limited, leave the cocktails alone and pour it straight.
Why We Curate It at Bourbon Brothers
The Stewards Release is one of those bottles that takes a brand you already know and shows you a different side of it. Cask strength wheated Maker's Mark, finished with ten toasted oak staves, two batches, properly limited. A solid step up for anyone who already drinks Maker's and wants to see what the Wood Finishing Series is really about. Hard to go wrong with this one.
Product Details
| Brand | Maker's Mark |
| Producer | Maker's Mark Distillery |
| Category | Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey |
| Style | Wheated Bourbon, Stave Finished, Cask Strength |
| Region | Loretto, Kentucky, USA |
| Mash Bill | 70% Corn, 16% Wheat, 14% Malted Barley |
| Finish | 10 virgin toasted American oak staves |
| ABV | 59.4% |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
| Release | 2026 Wood Finishing Series, Limited Release |
| Country | USA |