Maker's Mark The Keepers Release 2025 (750Ml)

The Keepers Release 2025 is part of the Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series. It honors the warehouse team at the distillery. Those people still rotate every barrel of Maker's Mark by hand. Their notes on how the oak smells through the day helped shape this bottle.

It starts as wheated bourbon. The mash bill is 70% corn, 16% soft red winter wheat and 14% malted barley. Wheat in place of rye gives you a softer, sweeter base. The bourbon ages for six to seven years before the finishing work begins.

Then come the staves. Ten toasted American oak staves go into each barrel. Half the bourbon rests five weeks with one stave profile. The other half rests nine weeks with a second profile. The two batches are then blended in equal parts and bottled non-chill filtered at 109.2 proof.

Lift the glass and the oak speaks first. You get seasoned wood, brûléed sugar and a note of tobacco. That oak-forward richness carries onto your tongue with a caramelized sweetness. The finish is long and enveloping, with dried dark fruit and a roasted sweetness that lingers.

At full proof, it rewards a slow pour. Try it neat first, then add a cube of ice and see what opens up. It also makes a bold Old Fashioned. Pair it with dark chocolate, grilled meats or a rich dessert. Fans of wheated bourbon will find plenty to explore here.