Maker's Mark The Stewards Release Wood Finishing Series 2026 750ml
Maker's Mark The Stewards Release is the 2026 edition of the brand's Wood Finishing Series, honoring the distillery's operations teams who guide the bourbon's journey from first fermentation to final bottling at Star Hill Farm in Loretto, Kentucky. This marks the third installment in the second Wood Finishing Series, a five-year journey following The Heart Release (2024) and The Keepers Release (2025).
To create this release, fully matured cask strength Maker's Mark undergoes a secondary maturation with exactly 10 virgin oak staves inserted directly into the barrel, extracting concentrated wood sugars and tannins for a deeper, bolder profile while preserving the soft, red winter wheat smoothness that defines the brand. The expression is delivered across two batches at differing cask strength proofs, and each bottle is sealed with the iconic dripping red wax and signed by Rob Samuels, eighth-generation whisky maker and grandson of the founders.
Specs
- Distillery: Maker's Mark, Star Hill Farm, Loretto, Kentucky
- Technique: Secondary maturation with 10 virgin oak staves
- Release: 2026 Wood Finishing Series, Code EBE-26
- ABV: Cask strength, 54.9-56.65% (109.8-113.3 Proof)
- Size: 750ml
Tasting Notes
- Nose: Cherry pie, vanilla bean, honey, toasted marshmallow, and candied ginger
- Palate: Raw honey, sweet stone fruit, baking spices, and seasoned wood tannins
- Finish: Long and warming, with dark honey, cinnamon, and elegant oak
Non-chill filtered and bottled at cask strength, this annual, allocated release is a must-have for serious Maker's Mark collectors chasing each year's unique stave profile within the Wood Finishing Series.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Stewards Release taste like?
Cherry pie and vanilla on the nose, with raw honey, stone fruit, and baking spice on the palate, finishing long and warm with dark honey and oak.
What makes this different from standard Maker's Mark?
It starts as fully matured cask strength Maker's Mark, then undergoes a secondary maturation with 10 virgin oak staves for a bolder, more concentrated profile at cask strength.
Who is this release named for?
It honors Maker's Mark's operations teams, the "stewards" who guide the bourbon from fermentation through bottling.
Maker's Mark The Stewards Release is the 2026 edition of the brand's Wood Finishing Series, honoring the distillery's operations teams who guide the bourbon's journey from first fermentation to final bottling at Star Hill Farm in Loretto, Kentucky. This marks the third installment in the second Wood Finishing Series, a five-year journey following The Heart Release (2024) and The Keepers Release (2025).
To create this release, fully matured cask strength Maker's Mark undergoes a secondary maturation with exactly 10 virgin oak staves inserted directly into the barrel, extracting concentrated wood sugars and tannins for a deeper, bolder profile while preserving the soft, red winter wheat smoothness that defines the brand. The expression is delivered across two batches at differing cask strength proofs, and each bottle is sealed with the iconic dripping red wax and signed by Rob Samuels, eighth-generation whisky maker and grandson of the founders.
Specs
- Distillery: Maker's Mark, Star Hill Farm, Loretto, Kentucky
- Technique: Secondary maturation with 10 virgin oak staves
- Release: 2026 Wood Finishing Series, Code EBE-26
- ABV: Cask strength, 54.9-56.65% (109.8-113.3 Proof)
- Size: 750ml
Tasting Notes
- Nose: Cherry pie, vanilla bean, honey, toasted marshmallow, and candied ginger
- Palate: Raw honey, sweet stone fruit, baking spices, and seasoned wood tannins
- Finish: Long and warming, with dark honey, cinnamon, and elegant oak
Non-chill filtered and bottled at cask strength, this annual, allocated release is a must-have for serious Maker's Mark collectors chasing each year's unique stave profile within the Wood Finishing Series.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Stewards Release taste like?
Cherry pie and vanilla on the nose, with raw honey, stone fruit, and baking spice on the palate, finishing long and warm with dark honey and oak.
What makes this different from standard Maker's Mark?
It starts as fully matured cask strength Maker's Mark, then undergoes a secondary maturation with 10 virgin oak staves for a bolder, more concentrated profile at cask strength.
Who is this release named for?
It honors Maker's Mark's operations teams, the "stewards" who guide the bourbon from fermentation through bottling.
