Credit: Maker's Mark
Maker’s Mark 46 is a premium bourbon whiskey produced by Maker’s Mark Distillery, known for its distinctive red wax-sealed bottles. It builds upon the classic Maker’s Mark recipe by introducing a secondary maturation process using seared French oak staves.
To create Maker’s Mark 46, fully matured Maker’s Mark bourbon is removed from the original barrels and 10 seared French oak staves are inserted into the barrel. The staves are specially prepared by the distillery to provide additional flavors and enhance the whiskey’s complexity. The barrel is then returned to the aging warehouse for an additional period of maturation, allowing the bourbon to interact with the newly introduced oak staves.
This secondary aging process imparts rich and distinct flavors to the bourbon. The seared French oak staves contribute notes of caramel, vanilla, baking spices, and a hint of smoke, adding depth and complexity to the whiskey. The result is a fuller-bodied expression that retains the smoothness and approachability of Maker’s Mark while offering enhanced flavors and a longer finish.
Maker’s Mark 46 maintains the signature characteristics of the original Maker’s Mark, including its wheated bourbon recipe, which uses red winter wheat as one of the primary grains instead of rye. This contributes to its smooth and mellow character, with a focus on sweet and balanced flavors.
Maker's 46 Cask Strength
See Maker’s Mark 46 Cask Strength.
In fall 2020, Maker’s Mark launched a cask strength edition of Maker’s 46 as a limited release in celebration of the brand’s 10th anniversary.
Packaging Updates
In March 2022, Maker’s Mark updated the packaging for the first time since the brand was launched, more prominently featuring “French Oaked” on the front label and changing to the same bottle shape as the standard Maker’s Mark release. Although 46 has always been finished with French oak staves, the front label previously simply read “barrel finished with oak staves.” It also calls out that Stave Profile #46 is Bill Samuels, Jr.’s recipe.
