I received the following e-mail today, and am very eager to find my first (of many I hope) bottle.
| Dear Michael, As always, we want you to be the first to know about exciting news here on Star Hill Farm. In this case, it’s a new development in celebration of one of the most traditional aspects of how we make your whisky. Our Maker’s Mark® Wood Finishing Series has been successful beyond anything we imagined, thanks to you. As you know, each year we’ve focused on one aspect of my grandfather’s taste vision and amplified that using the proprietary finishing process developed by my dad, Bill Samuels, Jr., when he created Maker’s Mark 46®. This year, we’ve taken our inspiration from the distilling process itself: our 36-inch copper column stills (considered small by modern standards), our use of a small rectifier and our practice of never chill filtering our whisky. It’s all done – or not done – in the service of flavor and texture. Because of our still design and our non-chill filtration, our bourbon retains more of the fatty acid esters (FAEs) that give Maker’s Mark® not only its subtle hints of tobacco and dried fruits but also its signature rich and creamy mouthfeel. Now, after a year of experimenting, our pursuit of amplifying both flavor and texture in our taste vision has resulted in not one, but two all-new Wood Finishing Series expressions. First up will be our 2021 Limited Release: FAE-01, launching this spring. It will be followed later this year with a fall release, our 2021 Limited Release: FAE-02. |
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| To the benefit of our spring release, FAE-01, we ended up with a whisky that, as our Master of Maturation, Jane Bowie, says, “tastes just like a barrel warehouse smells.” If you’ve ever visited our little distillery, I think you and your tastebuds know what I’m talking about. This is a bourbon with rich, figgy notes complemented by tobacco undertones and a woodiness that create a unique depth of big, bold flavor. What’s more, in what is certainly a first for us, we seared our FAE-01 stave on one side, leaving the other side raw. The results surprised even us, and further accentuated this release’s one-of-a-kind flavor profile. Our Spring Limited Release, bottled at cask strength of roughly 110 proof, will begin arriving at select retailers nationwide very soon. None of our Wood Finishing Series releases to date have lasted long on store shelves, so I encourage you to check with your favorite retailers for the latest availability. |
| I’ll have more details on our Fall Limited Release in a few months. Without giving too much away, I can promise that it’s the other side of the coin – or stave – from the spring release. Thank you once again for your continuing support of Maker’s Mark and the people who continue to work (safely) every day to handmake your favorite bourbon. |
| Best Regards, |
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| Rob Samuels Grandson of the Founders Managing Director, Maker’s Mark Distillery, Inc. |
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