Aged oak | Nutmeg | Cinnamon stick | Faint baking spices | Brown sugar | Vanilla cream | Black forest cake | Mixed berry pie

Brown sugar | Touch of marshmallow | Aged oak | Dark stone fruits | Little Debbie Fudge Brownie | Creamy mouthfeel

Aged oak | Baking spices | Green peppercorn spice | Brown sugar | Cassia cinnamon | Faint dried tobacco leaf

The Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged series started in 2023 and marked the brand’s first big, high-priced annual limited release. Differentiating itself from the Maker’s Mark Woodfinishing Series, the Cellar Aged series focuses on aging standard Maker’s Mark for a number of additional years in the company’s limestone cellar. This cellar has an average year round temperature of 47° Fahrenheit.  Dr. Blake Layfield, Master Distiller, Maker’s Mark states “aging at consistently cool temperatures slows the extraction of wood tannins, allowing oxidation to do its work and developing a bourbon that’s more complex, yet remarkably approachable. By avoiding the overly bitter, tannic notes that can come with traditional long aging, this one-of-a-kind expression challenges everything you think you know about aged bourbon.”  

Maker’s Mark was never known for their age statements until the Cellar Aged series began in 2023. Since that time, the bourbon in the Cellar Aged releases has always just been two distinct ages, which never crept above 13 years. That changed in 2025 with the brand moving to blend three different ages together, including a 14 year component, which is the oldest whiskey blended in a Maker’s Mark to date. This 14 year component, which accounts for only 16% of the blend, ends up adding a nice amount of aged notes to the overall flavor profile.

The moment you’re greeted with its aroma for the first time, you realize that a memorable experience awaits you. That’s in part thanks to the classic yet intriguing scents that pull in your typical aged oak, baking spices, and brown sugar, but add black forest cake and mixed berry pie  scent. The midpoint carries over the classic brown sugar and aged oak notes while adding in a variety of sweetness, thanks to notes of Little Debbie Fudge Brownie and a touch of marshmallow. The creamy mouthfeel transitions to a classic aged bourbon finish that focuses on large amounts of aged oak, dark cinnamon, and a pleasing, faint dried tobacco leaf note to cap things off.

For a blend that contains bourbons that are all above 10 years old, it’s surprising to see the amount of sweeter flavors on display. While aged oak is present, it’s not the star of the show; rather, it plays a supporting role. This isn’t a bad thing, as the end result is an exceedingly exceptional bourbon. It’s exactly this contrast of aged bourbon notes with delightful sweet tones that work so well together. Without being able to taste standard Maker’s Mark that hasn’t been aged for a long time, it’s hard to know whether age or the fact that barrels were moved to the company’s limestone cellar has the greater impact. No matter the main influence, the 2025 release is easily one of the best products Maker’s Mark has released to date.