Even years since they launched this program, we are still kind of shocked that of all brands, Maker's Mark has essentially created arguably the most interesting barrel program in the biz for the moment. For a brand that has prized itself on creating what it deems, and we tend to agree, a perfectly balanced bourbon, every time - they went and tinkered with perfection and quite honestly created something even more interesting.
Part of how they achieved this of course is through their years long collaboration with the peerless Independent Stave Company. Together they created after countless trials 5 different unique proprietary stave types, each with its own completely singular flavor profile.
The stave breakdown for our custom barrel is 1 Baked American (vanilla, honey ripe orchard fruits), 3 Seared French Cuvee (sweet cream, toasted caramel, almond butter), 3 Roasted French Mendiant (chocolate, coffee, dried fruits) & 3 Toasted French Spice (clove, pepper, preserved orange). Bottled at a natural cask strength. Total yield for the barrel was 246 bottles. Finished for 3 months in the brand's iconic, natural, cool earthen limestone cellar.